| Alberta Kelsey $25 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Kelsey 1937 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
>90 cm / Best when staked |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 6 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Several / Good |
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| Flowers fade elegantly to pale pink and show the occasional red streak.
The American peony breeder Ernest Kelsey introduced a number of peonies in the first part of the 20th century. Many of them are hard to find these days which is a shame because I have yet to see a Kelsey introduction that I did not find to be particularly beautiful.
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| America $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Rudolph 1976 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Occasional / None |
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| Winner of the American Peony Society Gold Medal in 1992, ‘America’ is a bold beauty with petals like scarlet satin. The flowers are huge but don't require staking. It is one of the latest flowering hybrid peonies.
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| Anastasia $25 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Hollingsworth 2001 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Best when staked |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Good |
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| The petals of these pretty medium pink flowers become edged in sliver as the flowers age. Golden stamens can be seen hiding amongst the loosely packed petals.
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| Attar of Roses $35 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Murawska 1951 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
>90 cm / Best when staked |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Several / Excellent |
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| Added to our field originally just because of the name but it soon became one of my favorites. The flowers are large and are wonderfully fragrant. A tall peony with slightly purple foliage that I like underplanted with Lady's Mantle. Side buds extend the bloom period.
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| Banner Bright $25 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Franklin / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Depends upon location |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Good |
|
| Cheerful pink flowers that are more double than semi-double (though officially listed by the American Peony Society as a semi-double). This is a just slightly shorter plant than average and looks great planted in front of taller growing peonies such as ‘Seashell’.
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| Barrington Belle $25 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Klehm 1971/P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Depends upon location |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 6 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Faint |
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| One of those extremely useful late Japanese form flowers that work so very well when planted next to heavy doubles that bloom at the same time. Try planting it in association with ’Pillow Talk’ or perhaps one of the white doubles such as ‘Evening Star’ or ‘Marshmallow Puff’.
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| Bartzella $190 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Anderson 1986 / Intersectional |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Good |
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| Awarded the 2006 Gold Medal for excellence by the American Peony Society. A bit taller than Garden Treasure but with flowers of about the same shade of yellow. And, like Garden Treasure the buds open sequentially ensuring that the plant is in bloom for an extended period of time; often more than three weeks here. The fragrance is deliciously fresh with a hint of lemon. When cut for a vase, the flowers have good staying power.
If you are looking for a hardy, fragrant, yellow flowered peony, both Bartzella and Garden Treasure fit the bill. Make your decision based upon height. Garden Treasure being slightly shorter, will sit well at the front of the border. If you need a taller plant, then Bartzella would be the better choice.
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| Bess Bockstoce $45 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Bockstoce 1955 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm/ Depends upon location |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / Good |
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| Not often found in catalogues, I have a few to offer this year. For many years there was some confusion between this peony and 'Rose Heart' (also in this year’s catalogue). A photo of 'Rose Heart' was inadvertently published in a popular peony book with an incorrect caption. They are however two very different peonies.
The picture would suggest perhaps a traditional double pink peony but the picture is misleading. The foliage and flowering time are indicative of a hybrid peony. Indeed 'Bess Bockstoce' is a hybrid between the very early flowering P. officinalis and the more traditional P. lactiflora . Double flowers such as these are rare in week 4 of the peony bloom season. The flowers are an extremely pretty shade of pink.
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| Bev $35 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Krekler 1975 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
>90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Good |
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| A truly gorgeous peony! The stems are strong and hold numerous large flowers. The flowers are loosely petaled and begin as a deep pink and with time, each petal becomes tipped with silver.
This peony looks wonderful planted alongside ‘Krinkled White’.
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| Bride's Dream $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Krekler 1965 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Excellent |
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| A most unusual flower. The centre petals are very narrow and usually such narrow petals have yellow pollen visible at the margins. In this case though, the flower is pure white.
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| Bu-te $25 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Wassenberg 1954 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
> 90 cm/ Depends upon location |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Faint |
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| Another Gold Medal winner with the American Peony Society. This is a very pretty flower of the Japanese form. The petals are pure waxy white while the centre is pale yellow. The flowers are large and the outer petals are slightly ruffled. This is a tall plant but does not necessarily need to be staked if it is protected from the wind and has a few neighbours to lend it support.
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| Buckeye Belle $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Mains 1956 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| ‘Buckeye Belle’ attracted my attention many years ago. I believe it was the first peony I saw with really dark red petals. The colour is actually more a deep mahogany and has the appearance of velvet. This is another of those very dark flowered peonies that look stunning planted with yellow flowering plants. Slightly shorter than average.
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| Burma Midnight $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Klehm 1980 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Occasional /Faint |
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| An offspring of ‘Burma Ruby’. The flowers are perfectly symmetrical around a tidy centre. The colour is several shades darker than its parent making it a dramatic addition to the perennial border.
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| Butter Bowl $25 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Rosefield / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Good |
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| This is a reliable peony that makes a great show year after year. The guard petals are almost perfectly rounded and the centre is deep golden yellow on opening. The flowers fade gracefully.
Perhaps not of great importance today but interesting nonetheless, attributed to Mr. Reno Rosefield of Oregon in the APS registration file with a note that it may have been introduced by J. F. Rosefield of Indiana (who changed his name from Rosenfield...).
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| Cardinal's Robe $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Saunders 1940 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90cm / None |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| An excellent choice for the gardener looking for a good clear red. The petals are nicely cupped and held upright even in difficult spring weather. This is a peony that puts on an impressive display of colour in the spring garden.
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| Carina $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Saunders 1944 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| Nice foliage more dissected than P. lactiflora . Flowers are a full semi-double. Good red.
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| Catherine Louise $45 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Ménard/D'Aoust 2005 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
>90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / None |
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| Offered for the first time in 2008 and only a few divisions are available. This is a tall peony with waxy white flowers with distinctive deep red stigmas and filaments. The petioles and stems are almost uniformly dark red and accentuate the flowers beautifully. It has consistently shown excellent fall foliage colour and was selected for registration by Maurice Ménard before his death in 2002. Named for his granddaughter, Catherine Louise Ménard.
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| Cavatina $35 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Saunders 1935 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| Large, bright rose flowers with enormous golden centres. Very rarely seen in catalogues these days. I have only a few this year.
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| Charles Burgess $25 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Krekler 1963 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 6 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Occasional / Faint |
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| Deep burgundy flowers are held nicely above the foliage. The foliage itself is an attraction with it’s prominent red veins spreading across the deep green leaflets. Again, a great form and colour to mix with the more traditional heavy doubles so prominent at this point in the season.
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| Cheddar Supreme $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Klehm 1986 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
1 or 2 per stem / Excellent |
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| Looking over my field notes I see my first comment was “love it!” Flowers have definite pizzazz without being gaudy. Plants reach a height closer to 90 cm than to 60 cm. The flowers often have a few petals in the middle of the golden centre which just adds something extra to the scene.
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| Cherry Ruffles $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Hollingsworth 1996 /hybride |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| Lovely, clear red flowers that stand up straight up. A flashy, low maintenance peony that always attracts attention.
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| Chiffon Clouds $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Klehm 1995 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Several / None |
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| When opening, the flowers appear to have been touched by a fine mist of pale pink spray paint. Plant this peony where you will see it close up to watch the initial effect fade to almost white as the flowers age.
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| Claudia $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Saunders 1944 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Occasional / None |
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| This is another of those peonies that I bought because the name meant something to me. (Claudia being the name of my mother's friend). I kept it because a more cheerful peony would be hard to find! The petals are short, creating a compact flower that withstands inclement weather well.
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| Clemenceau $35 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Dessert 1920 / P. lactiflora |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Best when staked |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Several / Good |
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| I have a definite weakness for old French peony cultivars. Perhaps it is the stories about the nurserymen of the time or perhaps it is the stories behind the people for whom the peonies were named. I believe this one was named after Georges Clemenceau, the French politician of the early 20th century. Regardless of the history, this is a beautiful, classic peony.
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| Color Magnet $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Hollingsworth 1994 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
Several / None |
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| Nicely cupped flowers hold their shape well. This is an excellent perennial border plant that adds structure to any planting all the while providing lovely almost lavender pink flowers.
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| Coral Charm $35 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Wissing 1964 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| American Peony Society Gold Medal winner in '86. The large semi-double flowers are medium coral peach and carried on a tall wide bush. This peony is a vigorous grower! Looks wonderful under planted with lamb's ears and Nepeta mussini but trim the lamb's ears to keep the foliage rather than the flowers.
'Coral Charm' is this year's fundraising peony. For each peony purchased $35 will be donated to The Breakfast Club of Quebec. Find out more...
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| Coral'n Gold $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Cousins/Klehm 1981 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 5 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| A vigorous plant with coral flowers. The centre is full of golden stamens. This peony was bred by Mr. Lyman Cousins of Ontario and subsequently registered with the American Peony Society by Roy Klehm. Like the other peonies of this shade, they look stunning when planted with plants having violet or blue flowers.
Canadians will no doubt recognize this peony as being on the new postage stamps issued this past March.
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| Crusader $30 |
| Originator/Parentage: |
Glasscock 1940 /hybrid |
| Height/Staking: |
60-90 cm / Not required |
| Bloom Period: |
Week 4 |
| Side buds/Fragrance: |
None / None |
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| Usually described as scarlet coloured, the flowers however to my eye are more deep burgundy. The colour does not fade and the petals maintain their cupped shape until just before falling. I find this peony very similar to ‘Belle Centre’ and like ‘Belle Centre’, ‘Crusader’ looks stunning when collocated with yellow flowering plants.
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