A remarkable year for many things, my roses and peonies have out done themselves. I have very few roses but many varieties of peonies. I always feel that a few more peonies will be fine until summer comes and they take up more space than I want them too. Despite all of that, I will be ordering more peonies this year for fall delivery. Genie Cate and her peony business in Etlan, Virginia called Blue Rag Gardens will be my source. This is only one of her specialities. I know that my collection includes some of the very best peonies (some from Genie). Most are early flowering which works best for our southern climate. All, with the exception one, are hybrids. The single species I own is Peony obovata var alba and it lives in a fairly shady place. The foliage is less divided and the flowers are gorgeous bowls of cream. An especially slow grower, every year that passes leaves me with a slightly larger plant.

There are about 30 species of peonies. Some will argue that a couple may be natural hybrids. Most are from Asia, with southern Europe and western North America (only 2) home to the rest. They can be divided by type. The largest division falls between herbaceous and tree. The herbaceous peony dies to the ground in winter, while tree peonies keep their woody stems. There are now hybrids between the two that die to the ground but remain shorter and bushier. The benefit of this marriage is flower color with the introduction of yellow flowering forms derived from tree peonies. Heat tolerance has also increased, with these hybrids, as tree peonies can be grown as far south as Georgia, although they are fond of cooler temperatures and down right frigid winters.

In herbaceous peonies the divisions are between double, semi-double, and single flowering forms. I have many single or semi-doubles in my collection. I seem to have a fondness for them. They are less prone to falling over and never seem to get stuck in bud stage after a hot day. This is a common problem and especially so with late flowering types as we have warm days that stop them in bud development.

To pick just one would be torture. Thankfully I have enough space to grow many. If I did need to recommend a few I would include Peony 'Coral Charm' and 'Red Charm'. The previous is like a flamboyant pink flamingo, the latter, the richest red that will cause the gardener to gasp in delight once it opens. Peony 'Scarlet O'Hara' is a tall single that is a deep plum rose color. As with all good things, she is also very slow to establish. It has taken 4 years for my clumps to regain the size they were at the plant farm. Peony 'Petite Renee' is a tight, short clump with single, deep pink flowers. She always stands up perfectly and is fine for the front of the border. I would not be without Peony 'Prairie FruFru', 'Do Tell' and 'Bowl of Beauty'. There is also 'Krinkled White', a splendid tall single, late flowering white that waves in the wind. If fragrance is what you want then it's Peony 'Moonstone', a very double white. The only clump I had was accidently sold as a 'Red Charm'. When you dig the roots, there's no way to tell it's the wrong one. The customer later complained that her 'Red Charm' was white and I begged for her to return it. Once she knew how special it was, she kept it.

These are all very special peonies that can't be found in your big box stores or even your local nurseries. Although I encourage all to call and see if you may be in luck with a local source to help out businesses in your community. Usually they are only from specialized mail order sources. When I had my nursery I had over 300 clumps of peonies. I selected these very special few to keep and put in my home garden. While the peonies are still in flower I will visit Genie at Blue Rag. Hopefully she will have Peony 'Moonstone'. After that I will be excited to see them in person and add a few more to my collection. This is something I have wanted to do since December and before all of those big snow storms. May is finally here and it's time to frolic in the peonies!