Thanks for the info on future conventions. I would also love to attend the one in Michigan as the man I work for at the botanical garden is from there and worked at that garden. I have looked to it as representing a goal for our public garden along with the Missouri Botanical. We are members of the national peony collections group though we are very small and only have about 60 or so peonies. We don't have the room to plant out a large selection but were gifted with a private collection around 2004(?) including 30 of the gold medal winners at that time. I added 12 more last fall and have the 2015 winner arriving this fall along with several heritage age plants and a couple of species.
I am slowly working out which sections of my garden to dig up and prepare for 22 more plants for my own garden this fall coming mostly from Hidden Springs, Adelman's and the Holland peony shop. Some of those are destined for the botanical research beds. They are planning to move several of the plants that went into that bed last fall to main sections of the garden where they have space. The garden is designated as arboreal so we have few places for wide open fully sun beds that are not already fully planted and I cannot talk them into replacing some of the less (to me) impressive beds with peonies.
I have books showing lovely arrangements of beds such as you have seen at the conventions with wonderful companion plants to make up for the time when the plants are not blooming. Ours start around the end of May (anomala) and continue through the first of August. I realize what I want to, if not replace, at least cut back are native plants, but great swaths of low rather unattractive bushes just don't do it for me.
