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Apparently peonies have flowered in the gardens of Oregon almost from the state's beginnings, as many of the settlers coming West during the 19th century carried dormant peony roots tucked into the nooks and crannies of their covered wagons. However, I first noticed...

Collect seeds as pods begin to open. The harder the outer shell the longer the first dormancy period. Wash the seeds in soapy water, followed by a ten minute soak in a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part household bleach. Rinse. For seeds that have been stored, soak...

Peonies are heterozygous and do not come true from seeds. Named cultivars must be propagated vegetatively to retain their cultivar name. Seeds collected from species plants have an inherent variability within the population and not all are exactly alike, even in...

Showing Peonies The following is quoted from the Ontario Judging and Exhibiting Standards for Horticulture and Floral Design, 2003 Edition. Five basic flower forms are generally acknowledged. Sometimes classes are combined into one when the number of entries dictates...

The food storage roots of well-grown healthy peonies will generally by symmetrical in outline and in cross section, smooth of surface. If there are branch storage roots, expect them to be smaller but otherwise similar. Also, by late summer, as we get into digging season, expect the current year feeder roots (those which have not taken on food storage character) to be mostly gone.

Gift – A.P. Saunders pauses before he begins hybridization, Clinton, NY, 1917. Sable brush in hand,
amid cupped peonies drenched in sunlight, iridescent as fine china, the memory of my father blooms.

Perfecting Peonies by Blaine Marchand The peony gardens at the Central Experimental Farm hold one of the largest Canadian collections of peonies created by Arthur Percy (A.P.) Saunders. Born in London, Ontario, in 1869, both his father, William, and his mother, Sarah...

There are over 5,000 varieties of the common garden or herbaceous peony. Fall is the opportune time to plant your freshly dug roots. If you purchase a potted root these can be planted anytime of the year.

Arthur Percy (A.P.) Saunders, over his long career as a peony hybridizer, had over 17,224 seedlings (hybrids, tree peonies and species peonies) in his gardens. He propagated and named only 271 of them. Interestingly, only 11 of these were officially registered.

Hybridizing is as simple as playing bee. Yes, I said bee. Hybridizing is full of wonder, leaving us full of delighted anticipation. Choose the plants which characteristics you most admire. eg: the size of bloom from one and the height of another.