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greenhaven_gw

Buds alrerady on bushes while foliage is still'fresh'

greenhaven
15 years ago

Hi, all! Some names here are familiar to me at the Rose forum.

This is our second summer in our home, a sevety year old darling. There are big old peonies planted in several sopts in the backyard, and a couple very small plants in the side yard that I mowed over last year before I knew what they were. Oops!

My question(s) is this:

The foliage is getting quite tall here in zone 4b/5a, and is still pretty tender-looking (wrinkly, rubbery, reddish) and the leaves have not fully unfolded. BUT, there are bloom buds already present and swelling on the bushes! Is this normal? I never really paid attention before, and I have little experience with them. I don't know what kind they are besides to say most are the single, fuschia ones with yellow centers. There are also some double white ones, maybe a double pink. They are all behaving the same way.

I will be splitting and relocating a LOT of them in the Fall. Will they blom again the following year? And do I just slice through those thick roots to dig them up and divide them?

From May 24th 2007:

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Comments (10)

  • jayco
    15 years ago

    Yeah, it's normal for them to already have buds.

    As for digging and dividing, dig up the whole root (preferably on a cool, shady fall day) and then cut it, making sure each piece has three - five eyes on it. Then replant at the same depth. The new divisions probably won't bloom the first year.

  • greenhaven
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks, jayco! Any idea which peony these pink beauties are? I tried digging around the 'net and couldn;t get very far. I never realized there were so many peonies! :/

  • jayco
    15 years ago

    No, I don't know -- but they are really beautiful! I want some like those!

    There's a website called peonygarden.com that seems to have pictures of almost all the varieties, so if you have the time you could take a look at them and check for a match.

  • jennie
    15 years ago

    Helpmefind.com has a peony section; perhaps that might be useful?

  • houdinii
    15 years ago

    greenhaven,

    your peony looks like it may be "Butterflies in Flight" (which I've never heard of before). Similar pic of it is found at the centuryoakspeonyfarm.com website...in fact, did you steal their picture?! just joking. However, that website I mentioned lists it as a 2008 introduction. So, it must not be that particular peony, or you are way ahead of the game. It is quite a striking peony...wish I had one of those.

  • greenhaven
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hey, thanks for the tips, all! When I have some extra time (yeah, RIGHT!) I will check ou HMF and peonygarden.com

    I wish I knew when these were planted. They are pretty well established and it has defintiely been longer than four years....

    P.S., when I divide them this Fall maybe I will offer some for sale....? I have sort of a rose fetish and am trying to make some room for them and more native perennials.

  • jayco
    15 years ago

    Maybe 'Paula Fay'? This is an older, pretty common variety, I think. Let us know if you ID it!

  • greenhaven
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I don;t think 'Paula Fay. Paula's petals are too crinkly, although the one pic I saw at the nichollsgardens website had a pretty close resemblance in color.

    I think houdinii might be right about "Butterflies in Flight." I don;t know how I would have those already, unless they have tweaked and renamed an already existing variety. Mine do look exactly like thos. I have written to the farm and asked for asistance in this matter. I'll let you know if something comes of it!

  • houdinii
    15 years ago

    Likely related to (or the same as) Dancing Butterflies aka Fen Yu Nu. Known for a high bud count. Maybe you have the seedlings of Dancing Butterflies. Makes sense, ya learn to dance before you can fly.

  • greenhaven
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    houdinii, how beautiful! And so true. That is the closest guess yet, as Century Oaks informed that it would NOT be Butterflies in Flight.

    It can make me crazy not knowing what something is, so maybe this will be a growing experience for me, to be content with not knowing, just enjoying. I am finding a new appreciation for what I have, though. I wish I had all the shots of these that I threw away. I will be waiting with bated breath the next few weeks.

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