Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Peony Time


Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A wet night here on the mountain with rain pounding on the roof as it drops straight down from the sky. We have been surrounded by hail storms of late but have been spared here. I don't know what is befalling the nursery four miles away but I hope no more than heavy rain is dropping. Nursery sales have been off this season and we are relying on good daylily sales for our "stimulus".

I'm a tired gardener tonight but wanted to get some peony pictures out. These are great plants and a joy to grow. They are a lot of work for a short bloom period but the pictures alone are sufficient reward to keep me growing more and more. This past winter, after two consecutive winters of very deep snow, the Avery labels fell apart so my recall is the only above ground understanding of the names of each peony shown here. Below ground level and located at 3 o'clock as you face each plant, is a secure label with the correct name. Doesn't do any of us any good tonight but it will be helpful when I move these, late summer-early fall. Enjoy the pictures!











George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm A nice place to visit

6 comments:

James Trundy Verrill said...

One of my favorite flowers! What a great way to begin today. Thanks!

Barry said...

How apt to dedicate a post to the beauty of peonies! I was wondering whether you received the hail forecast in your area. We had a seven minute reminder from Mother Nature on Sunday.
The nursery where I work is also seeing less than average sales, but with wet, cool temperatures, it hasn't exactly been the best gardening season unless you're a shade gardener like myself! Enjoy July!

Carol said...

Lovely collection... I am so confused how you have peonies and daylilies blooming at the same time? I must be missing something?? They are all beautiful!

vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com said...

Hello Carol;

About the peonies blooming at the same time as the daylilies. They do, they did, they almost aren't.

This has been an incredible year for rain and has me scared because last July we got over 7" after we floated through June 2008.

Our peonies start with a nice species named smouthii which starts around Memorial Day. It's a nice fern leafed peony. Although many more come out during the next two weeks, I always remember "Dad" which comes out around Father's Day. By the first of July we usually have an excellent peony display but this year I can't be positive. The rain has flattened most plants and beaten up the flowers on many. They usually look very nice with the early daylilies which come on fast. This year is different with colder temperatures and odd bloom configuration with some plants having the scapes 6" off the ground.

This year those in the lawn mowing business are doing better than nurserymen like me.

Goerge Africa

vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com said...

Hello Teza;

Hail has been all around us. After such a dismal spring with hosta sales about non existent, (they looked so poor due to consecutive Mondays of 25 and 26 degrees), I was looking forward to the peonies. I don't think I ever saw rain so heavy except at the hand of a rainmaker in a movie production. The daylilies need a couple days of heat and we'll have plenty. The odd thing is what is blooming now. Later bloomers are out or ready to bloom now.

George

vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com said...

Hello James;

1.) I know you are going to ask the names of the peonies I pictured. and 2) I wish you could have seen them in person. The labels were devastated by 6 feet of snow this winter and my planting log is on a hard drive that went south on me. There is hope as I put an extra tag with everything I plant--buried in the ground and located at 3 o'clock. All peonies will be moved sometime between late August and the end of September and I'll get reorganized then.

Happy that they made your day. They are a nice flower to start a day with. Gail continues to sell bouquets at the nursery but even that is about over because of the rain.

Happy 4th to all!

George