graycrna4u said:I spent the day cleaning out my garden and checking on things in general. Pips are up and everything is growing like crazy, loving the warm temps and sunshine. I just hope there is no late freeze like last year to devastate the blooms. Pips are up on all my early herbaceous. Here is a shot of the coral sunset about 3 inches up since last week.

About half of my tree peonies are early and are growing like crazy.

Here is Lan Bao Shi from Tree Peony Garden (2013). 4 or 5 buds so far.




Here is a shot of Lv Liu from Charmarron that I just planted in November. Most advanced and showing at least 5 buds so far. I ordered in November, and Marcia talked me out of getting Dou Lu. She said she had just gotten a shipment in of great looking roots of all the greens. I told her to surprise me. The rest is in the picture.



The trees have popped their buds, forsythia is starting to bloom. My clematis vines are showing new growth and my tulips are up. And here is a bonus pic to enjoy.

Wow, your garden is coming alive! Your tree peonies are showing such amazing growths. How long will it take your tree peony , Lan Bao Shi's buds to bloom from this bud stage?

Every year has been different. One year, as late as June, another year mid to late March. I think the weather has a major effect. Buds have frozen in March and then budded again and opened in June. Pray for no late freeze.

You are welcome Karen! I think some of traditional medicine works best.

Neal, so sorry to hear that you've had the flu, and I'm glad that you're recovering!

Gary, we live in a similar zone and your tree peony is much further than mine. BTW, the temps are going back down starting next weekend, with some nights in the 30's😔. Hopefully, we won't get any frost!

The garden continues to wake up rapidly here, I'm amazed at how quickly some of the plants have emerged, and started growing this week. We've continued to have rain daily.

I took a few pics this evening when I got home at dusk.

This is Camellia Nuccio's Bella Rosa, one of my peonies The Fawn is planted in front of these shrubs, and its still in the pip stage.


Daffies



Peonies Hermione and Mrs. FDR are planted behind this clump of N. Cum Laude

That Narcissus 'Cum Laude' is beyond gorgeous. I love daffies but have hit and miss luck with them. Probably my usual problem of over watering in the spring before they are ready to take on moisture through the roots.

Heavy snowfall here this morning, then a break to shovel, now it is coming down lighter but steady. Sigh. I know it won't let up til April but still.....

We have had days of rain, and then when it was nice I was at work.
I will try to get some photos today. I'm dreading that this year will be like last year; a long warmup then freakish snow and frozen Peony buds.

Same here LG! I looked back at pictures and we had snow in late February of 2015. We've also had ice storms as late as March, and in some years our last frost date was as late as May.

Based on the rapid growth of the peonies this week, I would have a lot of plants in bud state that would need protection if we had any inclement weather.

Here are a few pics from this morning. Sunny Girl from Swenson's potted in fall of 2016 has 3 buds.


I have to say I'm very pleased with the plants I got from Warmerdam! Every last one of these plants have put up buds with stems!

Today, I dug up and potted both of my Scarlet Heaven peonies. The roots were so puny! I was concerned that they were too deep, due to a lot of water flowing through the area where they were planted. However, they were not buried deeply as I had suspected.

They were in a front bed, and didn't do well last year, after the leaves became unusually mottled, and they went dormant sooner that expected. We've have unfortunately had issues with our neighbors' dogs, soling in this particular bed, and destroying my other plants as well.

The sprouts look surprisingly large for the size of the roots. I wonder if the roots are naturally kinda puny for that variety?

Neal, that's a great question!

I looked back at pics of the original roots from our "Roots 2015" thread, here are the original roots from Swenson's. I was very pleased with what I received.

My current roots are smaller. I suspect the early dormancy affected the roots' growth.

You are right, Annette. I have photos of snow last March.

I was able to get out and take some photos.

Bud on Tree Peony Princess Chiffon


Strawberry Ripple with my garden boot to show how tall it is!



Impossible Dream Itoh- hoping for a bloom this year



Tropicana already way up.


Just for fun: daffodils

Annette, they do look like early dormancy may have diminished them, considering how girthy they were upon arrival. I'm concerned about the same issue with my Border Charm. I broke about half the growth off in midsummer, the new growth showing now looks a little puny.

You are doing the right thing, Annette. Digging them up and moving them to better locations will surely jumpstart their growth and health, I had the same problems with a couple of my peonies. One of them being Mrs. FDR. She did not like to be in the partial shade and struggle to thrive. As soon as I moved her to a full sun location, she just took off and bloomed her heart out.

LG, I'm glad to see your peonies are breaking dormancy, and looking great, and the daffodils are stunning!

Neal, I hope your Border Charm is going to be okay, and hopefully no setbacks this season!

Karen, I'm glad to hear your Mrs. FDR did better once it was moved! I've got 3 Shirley Temple plants that are in a similar situation. The Cryptomerias have matured, they've created more shade over these plants, and they haven't been thriving.

LG, they look great! How is your weather holding? Rains abating any? What other beautiful late winter/early spring flowers do you have blooming now? Most of our snow is gone but it's a bitter cold day out there today, any cheery spring flowers are appreciated!

Annette, I've done the exact same thing, had a couple that I thought I'd lost because the roots degraded so much but they did so much better in their new spot last spring. Moved a bunch more this fall, hope they react the same way!

Mieko2 said:You are right, Annette. I have photos of snow last March.

I was able to get out and take some photos.

Bud on Tree Peony Princess Chiffon


Strawberry Ripple with my garden boot to show how tall it is!



Impossible Dream Itoh- hoping for a bloom this year



Tropicana already way up.


Just for fun: daffodils

Wow, you have such awesome growth on your peonies, LG! And on rare and very special peonies too! Bet you must be so excited and uplifted seeing buds and growths on these peonies. Would very much love to see pics of all of them.

Thanks for all the nice comments.
The rain has stopped and I am out doing cleanup in the garden beds. I am so shocked at how much the Peonies have grown since last weekend. I am dreading the next month now as I will have to cover so many if a freeze threatens. But it makes me so happy to see all the pips.
Karen I will try to take some more photos of the new growth!

Liz, I'm glad to hear your plants that you moved did well!

LG, I also spent hours in the garden cleaning up yesterday, and fertilizing my plants. None of my plants were fertilized in the fall, and despite this, they're still coming up with buds. I'm so thankful they're forgiving of my neglect.

Here are a few garden pics from yesterday. The first is an azalea that I gave my husband for Valentines, it was put in a larger pot yesterday with primulas and colossus yellow giant pansies.


First clematis blooms on this fragrant armandii


A few daffodils and hyacinths

It's so lovely to see all these spring flowers! We are having a cold and windy day today More snow in the forecast... I am glad that peonies which suffered in bad locations grew happily in new locations. Peonies are such great plants! For me, the garden right now is indoors:

So beautiful, Annette and Anya. Wow, that azealea is gorgeous! Is it hard to grow azealea in pot? Your armandii clematis is also so beautiful. I love the white flowers against such dark green foliage. What does it smell like? It looks so much like a jasmine vine.