Peony Time, Do You Have 'Peonies Envy?'

It was too hot all week to do much in the way of gardening. So I was surprised to look out the living room window and see that a "new" peony, Peach Blossom in Flying Snow,* a Chinese Peony, had finally bloomed.  We planted two or three years ago after buying it at the flower show and keeping it in the fridge for two months.  Peonies are tricky and sometimes take several years to establish.  Where it is planted it gets a lot of sun, but they are fussy.

The company we got it from is branded as "Peony's Envy." *snort* They have  gorgeous catalog on their website.

Well I noticed it is blooming and heard thunder looming. Each summer it seems that, just when the peonies bloom we get a ruinous thunderstorm so I ran out to grab some photos!

Here are some pictures of the new "Peach Blossom,"  A Festiva Maxima that's been blooming a couple of weeks and another named, I think, Gay Paree. I love the contrast of the red-violet and white in Gay Paree, and how when fully open the center sits like a teacup on a pink saucer!

Sorry about the spent blooms on the Festiva Maxima.

Peach Blossom in Flying Snow 6.22.12,
Stephanie Takes-Desbiens ©

Peach Blossom in Flying Snow 6.22.12,
Stephanie Takes-Desbiens ©

Gay Paree 6.22.12,
Stephanie Takes-Desbiens ©

Festiva Maxima 6.22.12,
Stephanie Takes-Desbiens ©

The Garden on the side of the house
6.22.12, Stephanie Takes-Desbiens ©

*tao hua fei xue

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A Dahlia Story

Dahlia pom pom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I believe I have established that during the summer, I am pretty much about my yard, or as I call it: The Outdoor Gym.  Today was about four and a half hours of planting Dahlias and weeding. I think I put in around 35 corms.  They are of two varieties, a simple red with a yellow center and a pom pom dahlia in a matching red.  They [most conveniently] look much like the picture at left while the others look a bit like a bright red daisy. There's nothing I can think of that blooms as long and with as much visual impact.

Because we're in zone four I have to dig the corms up after the first hard frost and pack them in vermiculite.  I was about a week late getting them planted because of BEA so they had begun sprouting, sort of like an old potato.

Dahlia (Photo credit: Iguanasan)

I have a big plastic storage bin filled with corms. Four years ago my friend Linda gave me a grocery shopping bag of Dahlias—one bag. But if Dahlias like your micro-climate they multiply. Apparently they like my micro-climate a lot!  I finally ran out of locations I could fit them. I still had two bags of 30 to 40 viable corms each left. I am not good at chucking things so I suckered convinced a neighbor to take a bag and called another neighbor who is supposed to pick them up later!

Dahlia (Photo credit: Beedle Um Bum)

Dahlia (Photo credit: Iguanasan)

Dahlias are really amazing. They have been cultivated so many different ways that they can be as simple as a daisy or as large as a dinner plate. According to the related article referenced below, from Art-Profiles.com, there are over 270,000 known varieties. Some look like pom, poms and some look like peonies. I don't know of another species that has so many forms. Do you?  I wish I could grow more varieties, but then again my yard is enough work already! Dahlia's aren't hard to grow, like sun, but are very attractive to slugs and snails.  Anyway, thank goodness for neighbors.

Dahlia (Photo credit: Iguanasan)

In other parts of the yard the Iris (white and blue), beach roses, one Buck rose, orange day lilies and my poppies are in bloom. The peonies are just starting. The new irrigation system seems to be functioning correctly, but he forgot to install the spigot on the shed which was an inconvenience today.
Whew! I am indeed knackered. 

 

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Favorite Flowers?

Poppy  Image by Steve-h via Flickr

I often think my favorite flowers are poppies, when they are in bloom. My poppies are a ruffled salmon. Their pods are nearly obscene with their hairy lips opening to a fleshy bloom.  But then they're gone and my favorite flowers are those silly pinks with their clove-like scent.   Except when it just smells like a funeral. 

I love my peonies.  I am hoping a new peony, Peaches in the Snow, blooms this year.  And the dahlias my friend gave me in a grocery bag have tripled their corms every year.

Peony:  Image via Wikipedia

What's your favorite flower??

My Dahlias are similar to these. Image via Wikipedia

I have never met a rose I didn't like and if I stay away from yellow roses the japanese beetles seem to go away.  I have a fascinating Japanese ground rose, Novzoni and have often thought the flowers were like ballet dancers.   and I am very fond of my French lilac which has a white edge on each very proper petal.  The truth is that I just love my garden.

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