It's still peony time here as my mid and late-season herbaceous peonies are blooming!
 |
| Peony Bed in June |
This is 'Vivid Rose', a big late season double pink. I just love its intense color and flower form. The blooms are quite heavy but it has pretty strong stems, so overall not as droopy as one might expect. Fragrance is sweet and strong.
 |
| Peony 'Vivid Rose' |
My 'Myrtle Gentry' is a soft shell pink, also with enormous double blooms of a very soft texture. A bit more floppy than Vivid Rose, but holds up alright with support. This is their third year in my garden, so they are starting to bulk up and put on a nice show this year.
 |
| Peony 'Myrtle Gentry' |
I also have an unkown inherited peony, a midseason soft double pink. It has a ring of creamy petals just above the guard petals. It is growing in almost complete shade and I'm amazed that the poor thing blooms at all. Not sure if I should move it or what. It is a sweet old-fashioned flower, but not as fine as some of the newer varieties available IMHO. It is at least 20 years old or more, planted by the original owners of the house.
 |
| Unknown midseason pink peony |
Finally, I'm very excited that my intersectional hybrid peony 'Bartzella' is blooming this year for the first time! It has three big stunning blooms, a soft yellow with reddish interior streaks. This is its second year in my garden.
 |
| Intersectional Hybrid peony 'Bartzella' |
The fragrance of 'Bartzella' is often described as "lemony" in garden books. I don't detect anything remotely similar to lemon, but it does have a soft fragrance that one might describe as herbal. Pleasant and unusual, though not really floral in character at all.
 |
| Peony 'Bartzella' |
I thought I would like the yellow with the blue iris nearby, but it is the wrong yellow for that, so I will have to move things (the iris, not the peony!). I think it actually looks better with reds and oranges than blues. 'Bartzella' forms a very tidy rounded clump of foliage and looks great all season. In spring the foliage emerges a bronzey-olive. Fades in summer to a fine mid-green.
 |
| Peony 'Bartzella' - spring foliage, with tulips (early May) |
.JPG) |
| Peony 'Bartzella' - clump of green foliage in late May |
Intersectional hybrid peonies have foliage and flowers that look like tree peonies, but die back down to the ground in winter like herbaceous peonies. They used to be quite expensive, and new introductions still carry a high price in the first few years. But 'Bartzella' and some others are more widely available now, and the price is very reasonable. Well worth growing!
Oh my goodness Spurge your peonies are stunning ! .. My single red one is more pink and does not last long at all but stays upright .. I guess a price has to be paid for that. I don't detect a scent from them either .. I had hoped that Green Lotus would have flowered by now too. But patience is a virtue with peonies right ?
ReplyDeleteBartzilla is gorgeous ... almost the same yellow as my Kinshi tree peony.
We are having great rainfall right now .. saves me watering the garden .. phew !
I am so excited about the changes to come .. but it seems to take forever to get to the first of the line especially with rain days slowing the company down .. BIG sigh ! LOL
Joy : )
That foliage of Bartzella is gorgeous !
Lovely Peonies. Especially the soft yellow Bartzella is a real beauty! Here all peonies have already gone, it´s rose time by now.
ReplyDeleteYour peonies look great... plan on becoming more addicted to the intersectionals as time goes on... you'll surely love Bartzella more with each passing season! I have a lot of big blooming peonies that I've never seen before... probably bought them on sale and didn't keep track of names... they've taken off this year and I am totally surprised that I even have them... perhaps 'Johnny peony seed' has passed through the area!! Larry
ReplyDeleteI can't be any more envious. My Itoh peony failed to bloom this year. Maybe it was our "unseasonable" heat, maybe the lack of rain, or maybe I affronted Mother Nature in some fashion. All I can do is hope that next year will be different - and look at your splendid selections.
ReplyDeleteI love your peony 'Vivid Rose' therefor it has pretty strong stems, as you say. For me it's a problem: to put the supports to peony bush, so I'd like this one in my garden as well.
ReplyDeleteThe yellow peony is very unusual, I've not seen them before. You have wonderful collection, Rebecca!
My favourites! Thaey are all gorgeous. My paeonies are late this year. The only thing I can put it down to is our frost free winter. I'll make do with yours for now. A few more days and I shall have mine.
ReplyDeleteLove Vivid Rose - it seems to stand tall, I'd have expected a head that size to be droopy. You've a lovely selection.
This is a really helpful post. It is always useful to know which flowers hold their heads well and to read an opinion on scent. Thank you - I shall be bookmarking this!
ReplyDeleteThis is the second blog tonight where I find 'Bartzella' ! Such a lovely peony! Thanks for sharing your peonies with us, they all look so pretty :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful peonies; one of the benefits of gardening when I lived in the midwest!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous selection of peonies! 'Bartzella' is so pretty and such an unusual colour. I'll have to look out for a yellow one for my garden as mine are all pink or white at the moment.
ReplyDelete