Tracey, isn't PE a perfect peony? If only it would rebloom. Not only the flowers are beautiful, they also have a nice scent and they don't flop. The foliage looks great into September too. I don't have a lot of space but I have to divide it this year so that I can have two plants, one grown in partial shade (the old spot) and the other in full sun. I am curious if I will get more flowers from the one in full sun.

Karen, it sure just about is perfect. The shading of petal color is exceptional, scented and always stands up. Doesn't fade in the sun really either. Exceptional for sure! Don't we have great taste?

Now I have to get one!

I am off to the botanical garden to do a walkabout to decide on moving some peonies and where in the world to plant the new ones. They have three from Adelman's already. And I am keeping Guardian of the Monastery (we still have to prove tree peonies will live and bloom there - going into the second winter for the research plants.) Joshua at The Peony Shop in Holland said that FEDEX pickup up our box(s) today so perhaps I will see them Saturday?? Not sure how long it takes to get from Holland to Alaska.

Then just one more from Hidden Springs with seven (I think). Still no clue where I will plant mine.

I am in the same boat as you Mary though not with peonies but daylilies. There have been so many good sales that I couldn't help myself and got too many more plants than I have room for. I will just have to plant them close together for now and move them down the road. Hope that you can work something out with the ready beds that you have. The good thing is that you will have new blooms to look forward too.

Yup. new blooms and new colors. I think I have some lilies coming also. Don't want to forget them.

Hi everyone, I've finally placed an order for peonies with Swenson's, I was so pleased with the roots that I got from them last year.

Alex, your new roots look so healthy. Karen, thanks for sharing the pic of PE, it is a beautiful peony.

Here's my list of plants ordered, and I'll post pics of them when they arrive.

CANDY STRIPE
SUNNY GIRL
TORO-NO-MAKI
CHINOOK
DAD
FRINGED IVORY
MAY LILAC

Peonies are starting to roll in here too. I think I need them all here so I am able to organize my planning this fall. Usually I just plant them as they arrive, but maybe not this time.

My order from Holland arrives on Monday and goes to the botanical garden. Since the Peony Shop there decided to donate the entire shipment gratis, ABG gets them all. I have another shipment coming from Hidden Springs. I may rethink ones to keep now that I have an enlarged bed out front. They don't have room for all the plants anyway.

That was incredibly generous of the Peony Shop, I'm impressed! Seem to recall that you ordered several from them. I made my first order from them this year as well. Their prices for the ones I was interested in was better that the growers here but the shipping/ag cert evened it up. Still, they have an impressive selection and if the roots are healthy I'll certainly order from them again.

On to the physical labor part--over the last several years I've made new raised beds for the peonies to go into in the fall. I got the heavy work of moving in planter's mix done in the spring then have an easy time of it when the roots get here in the fall, barely like digging at all. The peonies I got in from Swenson's and Klehm's went into the half finished beds Jeff dug for me this summer and THAT was WORK! I was putting up edging, dumping in bags of top soil and compost, mixing them in, laying down weed cloth (think I started too late with the solarization but will try it again early summer for the remaining beds) and then cutting through that weed cloth and digging down well past the stuff I tilled in to get the roots planted. The soil in that area isn't really bad but it's weird--it's black soil but has lots of sand in it. It's almost as hard as clay to dig in when dry but it doesn't clump together at all when slightly damp and squeezed in your hand.

I'll fill up 2 of the new beds with the roots I ordered this fall combined with those in a smaller bed that I want to redo in the spring--I'll be adding more soil and slightly reshaping it. It's the area with most of my problem peonies in it--the ones that get frost hit every spring that shouldn't. Who knows, maybe they just resent the bed. It does stay under snow longer than most every winter/spring.

So I opened the Klehm's box yesterday and they sent a bonus plant this year! I don't think the roots were as super sized as they were a few years ago but still very nice, think the smallest had at least 6 eyes. Got Bev, Cherry Commotion, Coral Magic (replacement, mine died out this spring after emerging), Elk Grove, Lavender Princess, My Petite Cherie, Perfect Princess, Pink Kisses, Raggedy Ann (herbaceous, not the Itoh. Does anyone know if that Itoh was renamed Rosy Prospects and, if so, is it the one Hollingsworth's offered this year?), Raspberry Firefly, Silver Daubed, Soft Apricot Kisses, Spider Green, Summer Carnival, Tecumseh, Twitterpated and the bonus root Glory Be.

Liz you will have the most gorgeous garden next spring. I ordered a total of 10 from Holland. I have decided to cut my husband some slack and rather than turning over the grass am going to cover it in several layers of news print, cardboard and about 1.5' of soil. I am not going to plant peonies in that area (a 3' arced strip about 2' in from the back of the bed) but rather leave that for dahlias and other companion plants. I want to plant iris and lilies at least. I don't want plants that I cannot easily mulch around or put down more newspaper and mulch to deter weeds. I will be putting ground cover around the front foot East to West, but then put in edging material to constrain it from growing back into the garden as it is now. Too difficult to get the weeds out. I love the breadseed poppies mixed in but will I think plant them in pots to sink in the ground to more easily control them and remove them in the fall. Any suggestions as to other companion plants that would be easy to mulch around. I cannot put in bushes as the moos will simply eat them to the ground. I am going to put one Little Lamb Hydrangea in the back as it grows from the ground up anyway and I don't mind the moose 'pruning' it for me each spring to control its growth. Is a rather draping bush, quite lovely with huge panicles that bow the branches. Will use one of the heavy peony hoops around it to control some of the drift.

Hello everyone. It is that time of year again. I want to share a couple orders I received a few days ago. Pics are of peony roots from Karen and Adelman's. Karen sent me big roots!

Ellen Cowley
Mackinac Grand
Bonus roots-Petite Elegance and Walter Faxon
Sandra Marie
Jean Ericksen
Mackinac Grand
Mahogany
Rozella
Red Satin
Maestro
Merry Mayshine
Belleville
Hermione

Lily, you have a heck of a lot of digging ahead of you.

Mary, I am hoping I could plant a few today. I might take a couple of days off from work. Yes, busy days ahead.

Liz, you have put down new beds over grass haven't you. I use newsprint them cardboard then dirt. Is it the ink in the newsprint that kills grass?? I am running out but do have lots of uhaul packing paper. Would that work as well under the cardboard. I would hate to go through all this an then have grass erupt in the middle of a new bed.

I've put cardboard and newspaper down over prairie grass and it worked pretty well, then mounded planter's mix on top. I still get weeds, choke weed and dandelions are the bane of my gardening existence, but the only place I've had issues with the grass coming up is on the extreme edge of the plantings. Just water the cardboard down really well so it conforms to the ground, the tighter you get it the better, Mary. And if you do raised beds with a good border you probably won't have the edge issue I've had.

Nice roots, Lily! Can't wait for next year's pics! I got my order in from La Pivoinerie D'Aoust yesterday, hate when they arrive on a Monday....also got an email from Homestead Farms that my box is on the way. Excited for both as I've never ordered from these two before. I'll post pictures of the roots before I plant, I promise this time!

Thanks Liz. We had huge winds today so I was putting down paper with one hand and watering with a hose with the other. lol. Watered my leg by mistake at one point. Then put down cardboard and watered that. D came home and we finished the bed then put a layer of soil on top to keep the paper and cardboard from blowing all over the neighborhood. Had 85mph winds further up the hills. Only about 15mph here. Will stomp it all down tomorrow then continue to put down dirt and fresh ground stuff from the garden. I can deal with weeds. It's the grass that drives me nuts. I have one part of a bed where the grass got through and it needs to be totally dug out. Full of lilies, lamium and some sedum that will have to be separated from the grass roots.

My peonies from Holland didn't arrive per expectation on the 19th so hopefully they will be here tomorrow. The box is supposed to be 24x48x60!!! For ten roots. They must be huge. Or I hope so. We will see. Still no word from Hidden Springs. Adelman's arrived days ago. All planted

Thanks Liz. Please post some pics when your order from Homestead Farms arrives. They have a couple of peonies I want. Hope to order from them next year.

Mary, that is a huge box for 10 roots!