Tree Peony 'Shan Hu Tai' in 2016

'Shan Hu Tai' means "Coral Terrace" or "Coral Altar" in Chinese.

Tree peony 'Shan Hu Tai'

You can see where the peony got its name when you look at the stunning color of the blooms. The petals are an indescribable purplish-coral-reddish-pink, with deep purple-black blotches at their centers and silvery pink fading along the ruffled outer tips. The color is so bright it fairly screams from across the garden, yet it has an airy lightness and does not appear harsh or glary. It's actually a very hard color to photograph - these pictures don't do it justice!

Tree peony 'Shan Hu Tai' - 6 year old plant

The bush tends to have a low, flattened shape, thus the "Terrace/Altar" part of the name. It generally grows to only about 3 feet tall, but 4-5 feet wide (unlike most tree peonies which tend to be taller than wide). Despite its dwarf size, the plant grows vigorously, and is a very prolific bloomer. This is the fourth year for this specimen in my garden, and I purchased a two-year old division, so overall it is only a 6-year old. Just a baby - it will get much larger than this and have many more flowers in a few years!

Tree peony 'Shan Hu Tai'

The blooms have a delicious spicy-sweet fragrance, exotic and almost cinnamony. It is currently the earliest of my tree peonies to bloom, generally coming in a few days to a week before the other Chinese tree peonies in early May. It also holds its blooms for an unusually long time.

Tree peony 'Shan Hu Tai' - kingfisher headdress flower form

The blooms are not overly large (I'd say about 6-7 inches), but very full and double - simply packed with silky salmon petals. The shape of the flowers varies from semi- to fully double, but especially on mature bushes, many of the flowers will have the highly-prized "Kingfisher Headdress" flower form. You can see an example of this in the picture above. Inside the main flower there is an additional "tuft" of taller petals that stick up at a jaunty angle, apparently resembling a fancy Chinese hair ornament.

Tree peony 'Shan Hu Tai' - red stems and leaf outlines in spring

The foliage is a good mid-green, complementing the color of the blooms perfectly. In early spring, the plant has red stems and the leaves are attractively outlined with red as well, but this color usually fades by bloom-time.

Tree peony 'Shan Hu Tai'

The bush has a naturally attractive shape, and the blooms have a nice presentation, nestling just slightly into the foliage at the top of the plant.

Tree peony 'Shan Hu Tai'

It would of course be impossible for me to pick just ONE favorite tree peony, but this one would certainly be a contender!

Rose Garden in Early Summer

The transition from spring to early summer is marked by the flowering of Giant Allium (ornamental onion). These huge purple globes fill the uncomfortable gap between early bulbs like tulips and daffodils, and summer flowering peonies and roses.

Giant Allium bloom in the pause between spring and summer

Allium foliage begins to die even as they bloom, and is an unsightly mess - however I cannot resist their fantastical effect on the garden. It's best to tuck them away behind something bushy. I am counting on my purple-leaved Cotinus shrub to grow a bit more and play the role of concealer.

Nepeta 'Little Trudy' begins to bloom just before the roses do

Another plant that begins blooming in early summer is Catmint (Nepeta). Most Catmints get quite large, but this is 'Little Trudy' - a very tiny cultivar which is under a foot tall. It is relatively new in my garden and I am still evaluating its performance, but so far I am pleased with the flowers and form. The larger ones - such as 'Walker's Low' - are more floriferous, but there is no space for them here. I think 'Little Trudy' makes a nice edger.

Cotinus 'Velvet Cloak', Lamb's Ears, and Abies balsamea 'Piccolo'

By mid-June, the Lamb's Ears are stretching upwards, and the Cotinus is fully clothed in its beautiful leaves. I'm not particularly fond of Lamb's Ear in flower, so I often snip off the stalks (have not done that yet here).

Cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma), Cotinus, and Geranium 'Patricia'

The strident yellow bracts of the Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) have now faded, revealing reddish seedheads. I like this plant near the purple-leaved Cotinus - they make an attractive pair in multiple seasons. Geranium 'Patricia' blooms in June as well - this Geranium has very strong magenta flowers that are somewhat softened by the dark purple nearby.

Pulsatilla vulgaris seedheads, Geranium 'Patricia'

The Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris), which bloomed so early in Spring, in Summer is adorned with freaky-looking fuzzy seedheads. It has been seeding itself around somewhat aggressively - I'll let them flower and then decide which ones to keep. I like this Geranium for its personable black centers and neat veining, but it is one of the sprawlier Geraniums I grow. I sometimes end up shearing it back multiple times per year.

Heuchera 'Pinot Gris', Alchemilla mollis, and Geranium 'Nimbus'

At the front of the bed, Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) and Geranium 'Nimbus' begin flowering in mid-June. 'Nimbus' is one of my favorite Geraniums (so far!) - it has pretty blue-purple flowers, a long flowering period, attractive cut-leaf foliage, and a neat mounding/spreading habit (unlike, for example, the popular but formless 'Rozanne'). Heuchera starts flowering at this time as well - this is 'Pinot Gris', one of my favorite Heucheras for both foliage and elegant, long-lasting flowers. Most Heuchera are good for foliage OR flowers, but this one has both, in my opinion. You can see the grassy foliage of the Crocus that bloomed earlier here too - it hangs about like this for a while, then disappears suddenly almost overnight.

Heuchera 'Pinot Gris', flowering in June

Here is the Heuchera again, now in full flower. It retains its pretty flowers for an extended period.

Iris tectorum var. alba, Amsonia 'Blue Ice', and Alchemilla mollis

More June-bloomers in this area include a white-flowered form of Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris) and Amsonia 'Blue Ice'. They are at the front edge of the border in a fairly shady spot, but seem to be tolerating it well so far. The Amsonia grows slowly and is still quite small. I am very pleased with the Roof Iris - the large, delicate flowers are intricate and graceful. The upright spikes of foliage are a refreshing light green color, and retain their healthy good looks throughout the season. (I am not fond of Bearded Irises due to their icky post-bloom deteriorating foliage.) I have always heard that Roof Iris needs a "sheltered" spot - not quite sure what that means, but so far it seems OK along the edge of the sidewalk here.

Rose Garden in mid-June: Rosa alba, Geranium 'Patricia'

Now for the roses: I named this area the "Rose Garden" because I originally planned to have about 10 different roses planted here. This ended up not working out for a variety of reasons (rabbits, disease, winterkill, too much shade...) and the area currently has only four varieties of roses. Some of the original roses had to be shovel-pruned, and some were relocated to other more hospitable areas. The large rose bush above appears to be a Rosa alba, possibly 'Great Maiden's Blush', although I cannot be sure. I had ordered a Rosa gallica, which this very clearly is not.

Rosa alba, possibly 'Great Maiden's Blush'? - on first opening

It definitely appears to be an alba rose. It has the characteristic alba foliage and divine fragrance. Nice fat buds and lovely button eye in the center. It is a large, shrubby plant - much different in form from my other two albas (which are tall and lanky). Ironclad disease resistant foliage, despite the somewhat shady location. Overall it has the nicest plant habit of my albas and is very well-foliated. It blooms incredibly profusely, and opens its blooms gradually, over an extended period of several weeks. The color starts out a strong pink, but quickly fades to a somewhat pale, washed out color.

Rosa alba (possibly 'Great Maiden's Blush'?) - faded blooms

The color fading is really my only complaint about this rose. That and the fact that I had envisioned a dark purple-crimson Gallica here, which would have looked so fabby with the purples, grays and mauves going on in this area... But, I just can't bring myself to move this dame, as she seems so happy here - whatever her name is. Sigh.

'Eglantyne' Rose with Salix 'Hakuro-Nishiki'

The other roses remaining in this area are all David Austin English roses. Here is 'Eglantyne' - a very tall rose which apparently has at least some Alba parentage. The large flowers are a lovely shade of warm pink suffused with yellow, and the fragrance is very pleasing. This rose does get a fair amount of blackspot for me, and seems to be a favorite of the Japanese beetles, which are a major pest here. It does not ever bloom very profusely, but has a nice steady crop of flowers all summer and into fall. I've also had difficulty figuring out what to do with its lanky form. Here it is growing as a floppy bush, but by late summer it ends up sprawling all over the ground if not supported. It also becomes very defoliated at its lower limbs. I have installed a tall obelisk, and plan to try wrapping it around in twisty curves. We'll see how this works next year!

David Austin rose 'Sophy's Rose'

'Sophy's Rose' is another Austin rose in the Rose Garden. I have three of these smaller shrubs clustered together. This is perhaps my favorite of the Austins so far - the color is eye-popping, the "Chinese" looking scrolled flower form is enticing, and the fragrance is light but unusual and very appealing. This rose has also been much healthier than my other Austins. The attractive, red-edged foliage always looks fresh and healthy. This one seems to bloom in one large flush in early summer, then again in fall. I did not like the original site I selected for it, so last year made the perhaps unwise decision to transplant all three bushes in mid-summer. They were in shock for quite a while, but bounced back by fall and I am looking forward to good things from them next year.

Austin rose 'Winchester Cathedral', with Geranium 'Nimbus' and Allium 'Drumstick'

The last rose in the Rose Garden is the white Austin rose 'Winchester Cathedral'. It is a lovely rose with fine fragrance and enticing pink buds. I have had some serious blackspot issues with it, but that is perhaps because it is sited poorly in too much shade. I plan to move it to a sunnier spot in my back Patio Garden next year, where I hope it will be happier. It's a shame because I do like its purple and chartreuse companions in this spot, but it is clearly not happy here so something must be done.

Intersectional Peony 'Bartzella' in the June Rose Garden

Also blooming in early Summer is my 'Bartzella' Intersectional Peony. Intersectional peonies are hybrids between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies. 2014 was its first year of bloom - hopefully there will be more of these glorious fluffy yellow orbs in the future. In addition to lovely blooms, Bart has a pleasant light citrusy fragrance, excellent plant habit and flower carriage, and stellar foliage throughout the seasons.

Austin rose 'Winchester Cathedral', with Geranium 'Nimbus', Allium 'Drumstick', and Lady's Mantle

The Rose Garden may have few roses in it, but is coming along nicely. Some areas need a major overhaul, and I will be rearranging things and filling some gaps in the coming seasons.

Rose Garden in Late Spring

Late Spring is a time of great excitement. Shrubs leaf out, and perennials, major bulbs, and early peonies begin blooming. I've made sure to include lots of early bloomers in the rose garden, since the roses won't make their contribution until summer.

Late Spring in the Rose Garden: Daffodils, Spurge, and new leaves

This is early May in the Rose Garden. The roses have tiny new leaves, and daffodil blooms are scattered about (this is yellow 'King Alfred', white and orange 'Sound', and white and yellow 'Ice Follies' across the sidewalk). My fernleaf peony hybrid 'Little Red Gem' is an attractive mound of cutleaf foliage - it will bloom soon. The cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) is just beginning its display of flashy yellow bracts. The early crocus have now faded, but blue Scilla blooms on in the background.

Mid-May: 'Princess Irene' Tulips, Heuchera, Daffodils, and Spruce

 
A week later and early tulip 'Princess Irene' has begun to bloom. This is one of my favorite tulips - the orange color is intensely bright, without being blinding or irritating (unlike some oranges). The slight purple tint on the outer petals deepens and softens the color. I think it echoes the color of Heuchera 'Pinot Gris' wonderfully. The dwarf spruce (Picea abies 'Little Gem') is also looking colorful at this time of year, with its bright yellow new growth.

'Princess Irene' Tulips, Hyacinths, Lamium, and Barberry

Another patch of 'Princess Irene' at the back corner of the Rose Garden. Here it contrasts sharply with the dark new leaves of Barberry 'Crimson Pygmy'. As you can see the White hyacinths are still going strong, and Lamium 'Orchid Frost' has begun to bloom at the foot of my young quince tree. It creeps and expands fairly rapidly, but is not hard to pull out.

Mid May: 'Princess Irene' Tulips, Lamium 'Orchid Frost'

Here is the same area from a different angle, a few days later. Lamium is now in full bloom, the barberry begins to glow, and the quince has fuzzy gray new leaves. Clematis vines start their ascent of the trellis (which needs to be painted!) in the background. The small yew (which needs a trim!) also puts on a new flush of growth.

Mid May: Tulipa humilis and Spurge

Meanwhile, in another corner, another early tulip has begun to bloom. This is the tiny species tulip 'Little Beauty' (Tulipa humilis). Unlike standard tulips, this type has unobtrusive, grass-like foliage that dies away almost imperceptibly when its time has come. The blooms are little but very cute. They are bright enough to stand up to the intensity of the Euphorbia in full glory. They also look good near my purple smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Velvet Cloak'), which begins to leaf out now. The jewel-toned leaves of this shrub look fabulous from spring to fall. I cut it back to the ground every year to keep it small - otherwise it grows into a rather large tree. The dwarf conifer here is a fir - Abies balsamea 'Piccolo'. I will probably have to move this soon as it is too close to the Cotinus - hopefully I will manage to do this without killing it in the process!

Late May: Spurge and 'Little Red Gem' Peony

Finally, at the end of May my 'Little Red Gem' peony blooms. This is a so-called "Rock Garden" peony, which is a hybrid of several small European species peonies. It is much smaller than the Chinese Paeonia lactiflora types, and appears to have some fernleaf in its blood, judging by the fine foliage. It is my earliest herbaceous peony to bloom.

Late May in the Rose Garden: Peony 'Little Red Gem' and 'Princess Irene' Tulips

'Little Red Gem' is not really red - more of a deep pink. A lovely color that stands up well to the bright tulips and spurge which bloom with it. The rose behind it is a large, exuberant Rosa alba. It is very hardy and one of my earliest roses to leaf out in spring. At its feet, some dwarf Catmint (Nepeta 'Little Trudy') are just beginning to show color along the edge of the border.

Next up: June, and some actual roses!

More Peonies

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)

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!

Tree Peony 'Toichi Ruby'

I encountered this incredibly beautiful tree peony on a recent visit to Olbrich Botanical Gardens.

Tree peony 'Toichi Ruby'

This is a relatively recent introduction, hybridized by Toichi Domoto and Roy Klehm. The color is just fantastic, and the flower form and presentation on the bush are also excellent. (The color is coming out more pink in the pictures - in real life it appeared to be more of a delicious cherry-pop red.)

Tree peony 'Toichi Ruby'

It appears to be a very profuse bloomer. I'm not sure how old these plants are, but this section of Olbrich has only been installed in the last couple years, so they can't be at full maturity yet. I took about 3000 pictures of it. :-)

Tree peony 'Toichi Ruby'

As a bonus, they had a light but very beguiling sweet fragrance, reminiscent of old garden roses. Unusual for what seems to be a (typically scentless) Japanese type of tree peony! I wonder if it has some Chinese/rockii in its blood...

Tree peony 'Toichi Ruby'

By far my favorite tree peony in Olbrich's collection to date - they have several others (see my earlier post about them), most in various nauseating shades of mauve. With its strong bright color, 'Toichi Ruby' would have to be placed with care in the garden - but I'd personally be willing to banish anything that clashed to another part of the yard to accommodate this diva!

Tree Peonies in Bloom

The tree peonies have been blooming throughout the past week! Tree peony season is my favorite time of the garden year.

Tree peonies in bloom

A bit later than usual this year, due to the cool spring I suppose. This is Luoyang Hong (Luoyang Red), a very reliable magenta tree peony.

Tree peony 'Luoyang Hong'

It is only 5-6 years old this year, but is blooming quite well for a young'un. I believe it had 7 flowers this year.

Tree peony 'Luoyang Hong'

I adore this white tree peony called Xiang Yu (Fragrant Jade). It is fragrant indeed - sweet and strong yet delicate in texture. It is the most fragrant tree peony I have ever encountered.

Tree peony 'Xiang Yu'

It is a tall, slender peony with large flowers that get tousled by the wind. It is 5-6 years old this year and had 7 blooms.

Tree peony 'Xiang Yu'

I love its striking red carpels and filaments.

Tree peony 'Xiang Yu'

My so-called "black" (really dark maroon-red) tree peony blooms a bit later than the other two in this area. It usually overlaps with them but starts in later. It has not yet opened all its blooms.

Tree peony 'Wu Jin Yao Hui'

The petals of this one have a unique shiny luster. It is difficult to photograph because the color is so dark. "Black" tree peonies are generally slow growing. This one is about 9 years old and has 10 flowers this year. It has an intriguing, musky-sweet fragrance, very "peony" like. This variety has some flowers at the top of the plant, but some buried inside the bush.

Tree peony 'Wu Jin Yao Hui' with Rue, Candytuft, and Lamb's Ears

I'm very excited that my new Rockii peony bloomed this year. This is its first spring in my garden, so it's a treat to have even one bloom.

Paeonia rockii 'Rock's Variety'

Rockii peonies can grow quite large and have many blooms. It has a pleasant, sweet fragrance (although not nearly as strong as Xiang Yu). Aren't those purple blotches fabulous?

Paeonia rockii 'Rock's Variety'

My one small disappointment is that my fifth tree peony (a coral-pink variety called Shan Hu Tai, or Coral Terrace) has no buds this year. Bummer! This is its second spring in my garden, and the plant is probably about 4 years old, so I was hoping for a sample flower. But this is not unusual for tree peonies - some do not bloom until they are 5-6 years old. The foliage looks healthy and the plant is growing well, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed for next year...