Oh Bea, I'm so sorry to hear that the ground squirrels has killed such an old peony. It's so discouraging when a favorite plant gets killed. I have had that happen many times over the years so you have my sympathy.

Mieko2 so nice to hear from you. Hope your doing ok and planting away.
Some plants in our gardens have been so well taken care of for long periods of time we expect them to last forever. I'm sorry to hear you to have lost some of your precious plants too…they are over the plant rainbow but always in our memories.

@bumplbea I feel very lucky to have been able to get that Fernleaf.... I hope it does really well. The leaves didn't look very ferny this year, hmm...we'll see. I hope it is. I've wanted that one and the Bartzilla for many years.

Still keeping busy outside, not bad for the 12 of Nov. in Michigan. I have 125 advance crocus bulbs coming in and 6 fritillaria green dreams .. Better get here soon!

Bad fern lef some times thy need a threaten or two … I have been know to tell a few pony' after 3 years of waiting for bloom this is the last chance if no blooms this year your out to the burn pile. I really works ..I swear..
Bartzella is another beauty…

125 crocus bulbs and fruitties.. sounds like a good plan all your hard work will show next spring and will a be a delightful sight. Fun times planting / planning ahead.

@bumplbea I've been reading.... and a few have given advise. A nursery that grows them recommend a fertilizer called *Pro-Grow Organic. I am not sure that I will try that yet. A gardener from another group said her sister used it and it worked wonderfully, making strong stems and 15'ish blooms. (that's why I went looking) It's a 5-3-4 formula. Much I've read says they like it low on the N, higher on the P and no mention of potassium. Or I may try a bit of compost in late winter and the suggestion of a handful of bonemeal around each base when they are about a foot tall.
I will be trying one or the other for sure, my soil is rather lacking as it grows very large pines.
I've also decided not to stress on finding the names of my noids. I came to this conclusion because I bought 25 Rockii tree peony seeds from the nursery that recommends the pro grow.. it's made by *North Country Organics. These seeds will of course~ be crosses without names........ so, yeah.
Tree peony do take 4-5 years to bloom from seeds. But it just sounds like good fun and an exciting surprise to wait for. They grow many tree form on the property and the crosses could be amazing, at least to me.

I'm going to leave their info here in case anyone else would be interested in checking out their peony or other products.
The 25 seeds cost $20 + 6 for shipping, I feel this is a good deal considering what could come from my investment.
https://www.treepeony.com/coll...

I'll always look for a match and name for my peony.... but now wonder... is that double a cross?

Thank you for all the great info… and the peony site.
I have a few peony's with no-ID local crosses by growers years ago.
I have not grown any peony's from seed. I do have many seeds heads from my tree peony's… and never realized that I could start them from seed. I only use them in dried flower arrangement on the stems.

bumplbea said:

• Peonies (Paeonia)
• Uploaded by bumplbea

I sure would be happy if I grew something as beautiful as the one you had.

Elfenqueen
Thank you so much. I think you're … 'pink peony with no name' …is much prettier.
I have the seed head saved from the tree peony in the above pic from my garden …hoping to get more tiny peony's from seed.

@bumplbea
I send the best of wishes for your possible new babies. Isn't it exciting to find new information? I love it!
This... I hope, should be the best year for my peony, I am determined to learn all I can about each one, to help them be all they are meant to be. There isn't much else for me to do in the winter, I don't care for the cold, so I stay indoors. Gardening and especially accomplishing what I was told I couldn't do LOL is of great satisfaction to me. I have even considered sinking tree pots in the ground to grow them in their own soil. But I don't believe I will have to go that far. (Though if I end up with one of your horror stories, I wonder if tree pots with screen in the hole couldn't help? Hmm?) That's a tough one. I've had squirrels chew a red plastic gas can and the plastic top of the tractor's gas lid. Sorry but I'm thinking out loud here.... perhaps my latest endeavor into hypertufa (a lightweight cement/peat/perlite creation) could be a good answer.
I see I have much to study.
As much as I love their dried pods in a flower arrangement.... I'm happy you've found they could do more for you. I think that's just awesome.

@Elfenqueen
Some pods are rather interesting and I have tons of seeds from the shrub type peony's. I'm not sure how long the seeds stay viable. Are you?

I will have to do some study and check out how to grow tree peony's from seed.
Of course I've never grown them from seed before. Or if it's worth it to try, not sure how long it would take to grow large enough from seed to bloom. The prices on peony's are a bit spendy.

Peony's were the first winter flower I planted in the garden . In the beginning of my garden journey always attending local growers conventions talks and sales was always fun. Don't see that as much anymore. I miss all the small family owned nurseries. They always had really cool plants.

I agree gardening is challenging and tough work and disappointments at times but the rewards are endless. So many projects and never enough time .

Nothing better than after a winter of cold rain, snow to see that first peony bud pop up…

@bumplbea
No I haven't checked yet on how long the seeds stay viable. You can test them with a glass of water though, I think. It should work with them too. Floaters are not usually good (it means their seed has shrunk, dried more and so air is in the hull) and the sinkers are still intact. I've often used that method when trying older seeds.

Yes their prices are a bit to say the least.... oh the ones on the other side of the world...beautiful! But can't get them and very expensive. Brecks has a nice selection of tree peony - still.. about 60.00 and up and we know they don't come large to us. But I'm still looking, and saying Marie... you just ordered seeds, leave it be. I hope I can.

The tree peony gardens I mentioned in a previous post has instructions and also will send then to me when I get my seeds. ... they said 4-5 years for a tree to bloom from seed. Not sure about the two other kinds of peony. maybe by the end of winter I'll know the answers.

I'm hoping to see lot of peony bud's next spring... on the old ones, if not the newer.

Elfenqueen
Thank you so much for the water seed test.

Have your seen the thread by Nick about dwarf peony's cultivars bred for short small growth perfect for pots.
The thread "Short/Compact/Tiny Peony Cultivars" in Peonies forum

That might be the best solution in my area since the ground critters have been a pain in the caboose , munching on everything. At least I may have some control protecting the roots.

Update

Elfenqueen said: Over the years friends have gifted me with a few peonies. I have photos of two currently that I wish I had a name for.
I'll share their photos with hope someone knows them.

I've just found a photo of Peony Paula Fay
Peony (Paeonia 'Paula Fay')

I think I found a match. Can anyone confirm this for me. Opinions welcome.

I don[t think it is Paula Fay. The peony on the photo looks like lactiflora and the pink shade is different from shiny and bright color of Paula Fay.

Trying to identify a peony from a single pic match is almost impossible unless there is something truly unique about the flower. Every semi-double medium to dark pink herbaceous will look like yours at one time in their bloom life. You'll want to compare the way it emerges, stem and foliage color throughout its life cycle, whether it has side buds, scent, bloom week, height and width of mature plant and probably several other things that I'm forgetting. Once it's narrowed down to a few it's a good idea to compared a confirmed source wide by side with the NOID, a good excuse for purchasing more peonies, IMO!