Perfectly Peony and Significant Others

​Now showing in the Teaching & Display Garden are the most perfect peonies.  The peonies were some of the few non-native plants retained when the Garden was converted to a Monarch Way Station.   In bloom now along with the peonies are Baptisia (False Indigo), Aquilegia canadensis (Columbine),  Prairie Pholx, Azaleas, and Nepeta Walker’s Low (Catmint).  The Baptisia, Aquilegia, and Pholx are all native plants.   Bees and several Monarch butterflies were busy at  the blooms.  It’s an excellent time to make a visit, check out the blooming plants and see the All American Selection displays as they are being planted (#AASWinners).  The common expression when people stop by is “Wow”.

According to the “Perennial Book for 2014” for the garden the peony cultivars and their descriptions are: 

• Sarah Bernhardt Peony - Zone 4. Height 35 inches. Large, fragrant, medium rose-pink flowers. This elegant, hardy, and long-lived perennial is regaining popularity as gardeners discover excellent hybrids with gorgeous flowers on strong, sturdy stems. Peonies require little care and like cold climates as well as clay soils. Shade decreases bloom.

 

• Karl Rosenfeld Peony - Zones 4 to 8. Height 36 to 40 inches. Full sun. Large, bright, crimson double peony. Lush foliage and lots of flowers. An excellent cut flower. Needs staking to keep all stems upright.

 

• Alex Fleming Peony - Zones 3 to 8. Fully double, sweetly fragrant deep pink peony. A tall plant that blooms in mid-season. Its central petals may be curled, making the huge 8-inch flowers resemble a ball in shape. Plants grow about 36 inches tall. Position them 3 to 4 feet apart in a sunny, well-drained area.

 

• Shimadaijin Tree Peony - Zones 4 to 8. Requires full sun. Height 3 to 5 feet by width 3 to 4 feet. 6 to 12-inch blooms in spring to early summer. An upright woody shrub, this fragrant fuchsia tree peony boasts larger leaves, blooms 2 to 3 weeks earlier and is about a foot taller than bush form peonies. Perfect for dramatic focal points in mixed beds, and luxurious hedges. 

 
Come check out all that is starting to take shape in the gardens. 
 
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.