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lizbest1

What's your favorite garden picture of this spring?

lizbest1
9 years ago

I did a terrible job on peony pictures this year--we had tons of hail so all of my shrubs looked pretty beaten up. I even managed to miss taking a single good picture of my favorite bloomer for the year, Strawberry Blonde. It had over 20 blooms this year after only around 6 last year and was gorgeous, but only in my memory! Had lots of puny looking 1st ever blooms and lots of awkward looking placement of plants---does that happen to you guys, too? One or two plants grow like crazy while others nearby are teeny, making it look like you were a drunk planter??? Oh well, it'll be filled in more next year! And I have the bed for this fall's new roots ready!

The picture is of one of the smaller front garden beds with Rocky Mountain Penstemon and several NOID peonies, one of the few beds that look fairly balanced!

Comments (25)

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Singing in the Rain with Victoire de la Marne in the lower left corner. Right next to Strawberry Blonde but it was just budded...

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Last is a NOID pink that did beautifully this year, absolutely laden down with blooms. Too bad the leaves looked like they went through a shredder!!!

  • KarenPA_6b
    9 years ago

    Wow, your flowers are wonderful! I like all of them but I think my favorite is the Singin in the Rain peony shot. The colors of this peony is amazing. I have to look for some nice photos to post.

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    First Claire de Lune

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Amberdim, I have Claire de Lune too but it's never performed very well for me. I think I'll move it this fall, think it might be too close to the house and get too much shade, maybe a sunnier location will be better. Yours looks like it's happy where it is!

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    Hi Liz. I bought 6 CDL last year . 3 planted in the Spring, 3 in the Fall . Only 1 planted in the spring bloomed... 1 was mislabled and nursery refunded the money I paid for it and let me keep the mislabled peony. I,ll see if I like it at that location as it is kinda "prime spot"... 3rd did not bloom, yet.
    The Fall bunch had not so good result as I had to move them in the Spring from very wet location. 1 did not survive, 2 others are very ill looking...
    There's always a "next year"... I hope they will recover as so far they are my fave...

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    So do you like the singles best, Amberdim, or do you like CDL for the color? CDL has been a challenge for me, I just have 1 and it took 4-5 years to bloom. Had 4 or 5 buds this year but the plant really hasn't increased in size very much.

    Do you have any of the cactus flower type singles? I really like the colors on most of those and the ruffled petals but the blooms are smallish, lots of them though!

    I think I need to move around quite a few of my older peonies that have been languishing in their current homes to include CDL, it has early morning and late afternoon shade. I have Green Lotus and Green Halo that are too close to the west side of my house, completely shaded until fairly late in the afternoon. I also have a few Saunders peonies that don't get full sun and haven't bloomed for me yet. I actually moved Cytherea last year and divided it, gave a piece to a forum friend that lives 30 miles west of me. Her piece bloomed last spring, mine didn't! I'm putting that thing in 100% full sun this year in a very high spot so it can't complain about wet feet. If it doesn't do better next spring.....I'll do nothing, just wait and hope like a wimp that it'll eventually bloom because the pictures are too pretty for me to get rid of it entirely!! Too much of a peony hoarder....

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    I mostly have tree and Itoh peonies. This year we went to Quebec peony farm ( les jardins d,osiris)just to get some more . I placed the order with them on line for Fall shipping but not having a great success with Fall planting ,decided what,s 5 hour drive if I can plant them in the Spring,...now...? It was a great road trip and I ended up buying Hephestos, Ariadne and Bess Bockstose...and 6 or so Japanase and Siberian irises... All plants were HUGE...We had to stay 1 night at the hotel in Montreal and move all of them to the room..so they won't be cooked in the hot car. Imagine the looks people gave us... Anyways I already made a list of 10 or so more peonies to buy from that place next year.Hope I can convince my husband to go ...again...

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I saw the pictures of your tree peony blooms this spring, Amberdim, they were gorgeous! It's amazing that a young, small tree peony can even support the blooms that you got! Looking forward to seeing how much more mature and beautiful they'll be next spring.

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    Ariadne

  • KarenPA_6b
    9 years ago

    My iris did better this spring than my peonies. I seem to have more garden shots with them than peonies. Lotus Bloom peony in the background.

  • KarenPA_6b
    9 years ago

    I have only two tree peonies blooms this spring, one is High Noon and the other, Hanakisoi. I really love Hanakisoi,the flower is just gorgeous.

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Kousa, I got a hardy geranium last year from a local garden trade and have to agree! Mine is a NOID pink and it's growing like crazy, will make a gorgeous tall ground cover in a few years. Love your Hanakisoi picture, too. I got that one last fall but it's so tiny I'll be waiting several years for a bloom. Your Lotus Bloom looks great, too!

    Amberdim, the colors of your Ariadne bloom are amazing. I am so hooked, ordered 5 tree peonies for this fall!

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    Hello ladies. Good party for 3 we,re having here... love all the blooms and can,t wait for next spring. Liz, which peonies did you order?And from whom.

  • KarenPA_6b
    9 years ago

    Hey, Amberdim. I remember you now. I think you were the one who posted about peonies under water this past winter. Were any of those peonies survive? How are they doing now if they did make it? I lost two Pastel Splendor divisions due to wet cold conditions this past winter. The one that did survive had no flowers this spring.

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    Hi Kousa. That was me... I lost 1 peony from that area and 2 are still struggling after I replanted them. those are Cleare de Lune. 5 others were Itohs and they are ok in the new area(much dryer) but did not bloom this year.
    I love your Iris and if you are into hosta and indoor citrus.... we def going to meet in other forums...

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I ordered way too many again this year, mostly from Hollingsworth, Fina, Adelman, A&D, Brooks, Pure Peonies and a first time ever orders from Hidden Springs, Solaris and Gold City Flower Gardens. I also ordered 8 Itohs from Select Plus. Didn't have a good experience with them the first time I ordered around 6 years ago but decided to try again after seeing pictures of roots others in the forum received. There are so many beautiful Itohs that they carry that aren't available anywhere else....

  • hudson___wy
    9 years ago

    Just before the floral display - we just ordered an assortment of new colors for 2015 - we love the Peonies!

    {{gwi:103220}}

  • KarenPA_6b
    9 years ago

    Hudson, your backyard with the mountain backdrop is so beautiful! What a nice garden and view that you have. So picturesque!

    amberdim, do you like Ariadne? I was thinking of getting it but there are so many different photos of it that I do not know which one is the prevalent color of the flower. Also does the flower hang at or above the foliage. From your photo, it looks like it is above the foliage which is what I am looking for. Ariadne is a Lutea hybrid so you may get a rebloom in August too. I am also starting to get into hostas. I just placed an order for 20 some hostas. What is your most favorite hostas, amberdim?

    Liz, I can't wait to see pictures of your new purchases next spring. I too have looked at the Tree Peony Garden website and is greatly tempted to get some tree peonies in their collector's corner. I have to make some more space for them if I do make a purchase. It sounds like they send really big plants.

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    What a garden... Dream...just beautiful...
    Kousa, I absolutely love Ariadne. First it looks like a rose when the flower just forms and then that flower you see in the picture... I was lucky to buy it with the flower about to bloom and it did not dissappoint.I hope to go to the same peony farm in Quebec to get some more of the tree and herb peonies as what they sold me the first time was a spectacular size and quality. I prefer to buy mature plants as roots planting somewhat difficult for me.

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    Kousa, hostas are my newest craze... i seem to like streaked ones and tall ones with big leaves like Jade Cascade or Montana. As I have limited shade in my garden, I'm very selective what I buy. My dream hosta is Sails Ho. I hope to buy one next year.

  • lizbest1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Your view is absolutely beautiful, Hudson! Almost didn't notice the huge mass of peonies in the foreground! Lovely!

  • KarenPA_6b
    9 years ago

    Amberdim, I can see why you like Jade Cascade, Montana, and esp. Sails Ho. Sails Ho looks spectacular with the white and green splashes. I particularly like Jade Cascade- looks like a waterfall. I am just starting to get into hostas so I do not know what are my favorites but I do seem to prefer the ones with large leaves.

  • amberdim
    9 years ago

    Kousa,I started this year with hosta and so far have 15 and I think I,ll add maybe some more next year but not too many a s peonies are my most fave and thankfully I have more sone then shade in my garden....Jade Cascade I was told can take some son. We,ll see..