Please share your experience about this peony. What do you like and what don't you like about it? Thanks in advance.

It increases better than most here, Karen. I got it fall 2013 from Brooks but missed the bloom this spring. Cut it down yesterday and remember actually looking at the nametag because I was surprised at how many stems it had--all in that area were planted at the same time and it had a significantly better spread than its neighbors. I couldn't find a single picture of the bloom though, not sure what's up with that. Maybe the bloom was smaller than most and I overlooked it. If I remember correctly it's supposed to smell good, is that what you're looking for?

Thanks Liz! Yes, I have read that it produces smallish flowers like 4-5" but it is supposed to be early. I just wonder how early it blooms, like does it bloom about the same time as Lotus Bloom or earlier? I have read that it produces a clove like scent. Though I am not too attracted by such a scent, I am really interested in its genetics and fertility. Its parents are Blushing Princess X Sparkling Windflowers. Anyway, someone had used Carnation Bouquet for breeding and the offspring pictured was really beautiful. I read this on some website while surfing and forgot how to get back to it now. Forgot to bookmark the page. CB seems like it has alot of breeding potential. I would love to cross Salmon Dream pollen to CB for seeds.


I got the following from the Carsten database:

"There is not much to add for purposes of seeing the breeding potential of Blushing Princess and its progeny. Most valuable, I believe, is the fact that it is a fertile tetraploid and offers the opportunity to work with other early tetraploids for additional colors and other wanted ornamental characters. Planning and technique are relevant factors in setting oneself up for better chance of success. For example, Blushing Princess offspring Pink Vanguard is a semi-double, also resistant to late freeze damage of the flowers, which makes it a much easier sort to work with than some of the other doubled progeny of Blushing Princess which I have seen. Some other important tetraploid clones for breeding that I have noticed are Sunny Boy and Old Faithful."

I have added'Carnation Bouquet' and 'Blushing Princess' this year so I will certainly post photos of any blooms.

I had a bloom on my Blushing Princess spring before last, was very underwhelmed. I'm hoping it was just because it was a weak 1st year bloom. High hopes for next spring!

I'm going to admit to ignorance--I STILL have no clue on the various peony types and wouldn't know tetraploid from my foot. It doesn't stop me from planting seeds that look viable and hoping for the best, though. Do you plan to isolate those you want to use as seed parents, Karen? Probably wouldn't be that hard to get several in a single bed as long as bloom times at far enough apart. If someone wants to do a tutorial I'm sure we could get a huge bank of pollen between all of the forum members we have. I'd certainly be willing to collect and send some out if there is an interest in breeding.

LG, I look forward to see photos of both of these peonies next spring.

Liz, it is rather hard to tell a peony's ploidy by its look unless I guess if you are peony breeders and have worked around various species all your life. I really can't tell either except if it is listed on some peony source. With tets, you get a more diverse gene pool. There maybe many potentially new traits or features such as new colors resulted in offsprings if you cross tet with tet. The seedling, an offspring from Carnation Bouquet that I saw had a beautiful peachy apricot pink color.

If I am to breed peonies for seeds, I will be following the process as explained by this website:

http://www.pivoinescapano.com/...

Doing this way will make sure that the carpels don't get accidentally self pollinated. Anyway, we will see how this goes. Liz I would love to take you up on your offer of pollen but I don't think it is going to work since your peony bloom season is so much later than mine. I wonder if the pollen can be frozen and use the following year. That would be the only way.

This maybe a premature claim but I think the pioneering work done on herbaceous peony hybridizing by Dr. Saunders, Dr. Reath, and William Seidl has set the stage for very exciting future peonies development. At this stage, I think the home gardener has a chance to produce nice seedlings with the seeds they harvest from certain peony hybrids to get nice flowers. These peony hybrids are not only fertile but also produce colors and habit that are substantially better than the older ones. These desirable traits are stem strength to support full double flowers, long lasting nice foliage, and new colors, etc... Wouldn't it be nice that we may get a break in rebloom? Some hybrids that come to mind are Lemon Chiffon, Salmon Dream, Pastelegance, and maybe Carnation Bouquet. If you know others, please list them here.

'Pink Vanguard' and 'Blushing Princess' are also said to be excellent parents.

Having taken two peony hybridizing classes now, the presenters very much encouraged participants to branch out and try different parents for seed. The only way anyone ever found out that the above listed on this discussion were great parents is to have had someone take "a chance" on them. So the sky is the limit! The person who bred most of the corals was not a world renowned hybridizer, but look what he came up with. So it is with that I encourage anyone doing any hybridizing to take chances and consider doing something new.

I found out just recently that advanced lutea hybrids (TP) are more resistant to cold. I then checked out what I bought for ABG in 2015 that survived and bloomed. Sure enough both were lutea hybrids, advanced. So now I am looking around for more of that sort. With all the lovely TP that qualify there is no point in buying any that just won't survive here. I had two Japanese TP that did very well. I should look up their genetics to see if they also were resistant.

Solaris is breeding for cold resistance, check them out when they reopen in January.

Mary, my favorite TP are those of Lutea hybrids. They also have the ability to rebloom in late summer. That is why I am so excited and look forward to Solaris Farms TP new generation offerings. I think I will splurge on a one or two of them next year. I also like Japanese TP for their upward facing and above foliage blooms. It is my understanding that Japanese TPs were bred for this desirable trait.

Thanks Karen. I intend to be 'there' when Solaris opens. I suspect it will bend the bank account a little, but sounds like their selections and quality are well worth it.

Oberon46 said:I suspect it will bend the bank account a little, but sounds like their selections and quality are well worth it.

I will certainly be there with you ladies! Nate has been doing a wonderful job with lutea hybrids that have been successful in northern regions. I have struggled with other TP which have difficulties adjusting to colder climates, specifically slow growth and limited blooms.

Northern Hardy, that's been the goal at Solaris Farms.

Craig, what is that gorgeous tree peony?? Is it also an advanced lutea hybrid? I would love to add it to our collection at ABG.

Mary, they are photos of Nate's hybrids taken this past spring during the APS convention tour.

Man, that is gorgeous.

He had amazing seedlings, both tree and herbaceous! Can't wait until he starts selling them!

Nate is Solaris??