Reading your post gives me hope for my boxed roots I bought at a Home Depot. However, I think I potted them up a day or two after buying them. I actually looked them over in their plastic bag before buying them because I was shopping in May and I hadn't seen them there before. Led me to believe they had been returned items as they were the only two there. My luck! They were also marked down along with the rest of the boxed perennials. I liked playing rescue gardener this summer; buying the last of the (even thogh better looking) leftovers. Now I have to do a bit of repotting and repositioning to give them less of this scorching Chicago sun! I know they won't bloom until next Spring if then. I'm just anxious to see what colors I'll have. They were four to a box and the pictures showed Sarah Bernhart, Festiva Maxima, Sorbet, and the Karl guy's :).

As for more suggestions for your garden, do you have Sorbet? If you bought them boxed up you maaaaaay have had a Sorbet in it. There's also a new, rare breed out that is yellow but quite expensive. About $90 and up for one root with maybe 3-5 eyes. I can't remember it's name but it's the only pure yellow peony. I'm sure once I save up enough blood to sale I'll be able to buy one!

Sorry ChiGardener, anytime you see "new rare breed" watch out. That is normally a marketing ploy. There are several yellow peonies each can be considered pure yellow. If it was truely rare like Lemon Chiffon you couldn't buy it for less than $100+. Look at ebay most of the common types are listed as rare. If someone really put a rare peony (Brassy Lady etc)on the list only a few people who follow peonies would bid for it. Most people will only bid on what they know about or if they think no one else has it.

Maifleur, that's good to know. Especially after reading about the Blue Lagoon in this forum! But either why, I'm not too worried because I prefer cheap n easy! If I can buy it bulk rate and it's healthy and grows, and looks like it's supposed to . .hazaaaah!

Does anyone who follows this forum have a yellow peony? I would be interested to hear comments about any of the new and rare peonies. (perhaps this should become a new thread with my question) Festiva Maxima has always been one of my favorites and is an old but great variety IMHO. Currently, I am thinking in terms of a Japanese single which is not pink, perhaps red which I can add to my garden.

Vicki

"There's also a new, rare breed out that is yellow but quite expensive. About $90 and up for one root with maybe 3-5 eyes. I can't remember it's name but it's the only pure yellow peony."

There are several pure yellow peonies, but if it really is yellow it might be the Chinese variety 'Huang Jin Lun' ('Golden Wheel'): http://paeo.de/h3/hua_ji_l/fs0/index.html

There is a new thread started on Yellow Peonies.

Here is a link that might be useful: New Thread on Yellow Tree Peonies, Yellow Herbaceous Peonies and Yellow Intersectional Peonies

I have 2 great Japanese flower shape herbaceous peonies in my yard. One is Fancy Nancy a fuschia pink flower with same color stamens and the other is Port Royale a burgundy color flower with the same burgundy stamens. Both are very striking and are eye catching from a distance. I like when the Japanese flowered ones have the same color stamen as the petals. Most Japanese ones have yellow stamens. http://www.songsparrow.com/2005new/plantdetails.cfm?ID=673&type=Peonies

Here is a link that might be useful: Place to Buy the Above Named Peonies

For eye candy go to http://paeo.de and look at the database. This sight will give you all kinds of ideas. Then if there is not a link to a nursery on the left side put the name of the variety in your search engine to locate who might have the ones you want.