Kamata Fuji looks like one I should get. Shimano Fuji also. But how many years can I wait; the hourglass is emptying. Prairie Butterflies is another on the list, but have no idea where to find it. All the well-known sources seem to carry the same stuff.

With ample rain and fairly (though above normal) moderate temps, this has been a good season so far. However, we are now moving into a hot and dry period.

Shimane Otone Mai was the first tree peony to bloom. I couldn't stop taking pictures, and the blooms just kept getting bigger. This is a plant over 10 years old now.


Here it was earlier:


Rimpoh also brought out the camera. It is towards the end now, and definitely won't like the heat.




Angel Emily is next to Shimane Otone Mai, and the blooms are about a third of the size.


This unknown is a silver pink that I layer-propagated.



Karen has sounded praise for Ofuji Nishiki. This year I could see why, even though it had only two blooms.




Athena has really put on a show--the earliest herbaceous here. In previous years, it tended to discolor rather quickly, but lasted well this year. It now has risen in rankings.



Red Glory with Clair de Lune



Another cultivar that was just a color-coded variety from years ago. It enjoys the dappled shade. More of a rose red. Have no idea whether it is a named cultivar, but it certainly has been floriferous this year.



Pluto, typical of my luteas, has bloomed behind the foliage or pointed down. Years ago, I naively saw all the cultivars at Adelman's in vases (obviously refrigerated over weeks since I visited towards the end of the season). I liked the color of Pluto, and ignorant of its plant habit, ordered it. Leda is another one that hides behind the foliage.


Dad is brilliant as always.

Mieko2 said: Beautiful blooms, Karen! Did you have any damage from cold weather this year?

Thanks, LG! I do have some damage on my tree peonies. About 1/4 bloom buds on my Ostii were zapped by the freeze. All of my Pluto buds were damaged too. Some buds on Ofuji Nishiki and a NOID Rockii were also damaged and malformed. But so far, I have not seen damages on herbaceous or itoh buds. Even Blonde Vision buds are ok despite being exposed to a couple of morning frosts.

Wow Mantis! Your peonies are amazing, particularly the tree peonies! They are all show worthy specimens. Shimane Otone Mai whole bush pics take my breaths away. Rimpoh's color is so striking and beautiful. The red and pink NOID TPs are just as spectacular. I am glad that you like Ofuji. I think you will like it even more in the coming years when it becomes established. Althouth Pluto's flower is a bit below the foliage, the flower form and color is so beautiful. Your Pluto bloom looks perfect.

I'm sorry you had damage too Karen. It is so frustrating to wait all year and then see the buds ruined by an extreme low.

Mantis, your woody peonies are just absolutely marvelous this year. Your Shimane Otone Mai is glorious. I would have walked by it several times of day. I'm going to have to get Rimpo after seeing yours. That color is amazing.
My Ofujinishiki did not bloom because of bad weather, but it is a strong grower. Your Angel Emily looks great and will continue to improve every year.
The rose red woody is amazing too.
Thanks so much for sharing with us. I hope that the hot weather will not ruin your herbaceous blooms that will start next.

wow Mantis! talk about an enabling post, you've just increased my wishlist exponentially 😂

absolutely gorgeous plants and photos! thank you so much for sharing

Leda in full bloom and there's tons of buds cracking color all around the gardens so more to come.

Our forecast says we're jumping to the 80s for a few days, I really hope everything doesn't burst open and fade ☹️

Spumone Whisper; my first herbaceous peony of the season! It's from Song Sparrow and I purchased during the sale when they were closing up. Chiffon Clouds turned out to be a cheerful dark pink single that produces tonnes of flowers but wasn't close to what I ordered. Pink Jitterbug is so distinctive that I have no doubts that I recieved the right plant. Spumone Whisper though... I think it's the right plant though it seems a bit more yellow than the APS picture. I know there were mislabels galore during that sale. I didn't upload any pictures of it in prior years because of that niggling doubt but I think it really does have that "whisper of green" that the description mentions. If anyone thinks this is the wrong plant, please let me know and I'll remove the pictures.

Wow Mantis Spectacular peonies I would probably stand and gaze to your Shimane Otone Mai for hours. I wouldn't go into the house at all. I would bring a chair and sit in front of the peony Amazing!

SulliO said: Leda in full bloom and there's tons of buds cracking color all around the gardens so more to come.

Sulli, is this your Leda? Is it always so full? Love it

with Jasmin! Sulli, your Leda is just exquisite! The color and form together makes a striking presentation.

Hiya, Spumone Whisper's color is so pretty. I am partial to apricot color.

Mantis, your tree peonies are absolute exquisite! I watch them for hours.

Jasmin said: Sulli, is this your Leda? Is it always so full? Love it

i just looked back at photos, this is it's 3rd year in this location and last year it was not as full or special as I only have a video clip moving past it to focus on Vela nearby. It has not increased in size like others in the same bed however but it's foliage is beautiful.

Sulli, you Leda is beautiful I didn't know it can get so full.

I've got mine in 2016, as I recall. It bloomed in 2017 as a single form. Unfortunately, just after blooming, the neighbour's dog run over it and broke it I think that the graft got split. I didn't want to throw it away, so I left it "as-is" hoping that the plant will recover After so many years of barely surviving, this spring Leda has got a new shoot from the base, so I am hoping that my Leda will bloom next year. She is very slow grower though. I noticed this too.

Jasmin, hope your Leda will continue with its recovery. Its flower is gorgeous!

New peonies blooming in my garden today.

Roselette


Fernleaf Hybrid



Nosegay is a very lovely flower, but very stingy in blooms.


Duchess de Mornay



Nova

Beautiful Karen. Any pleasant smells?

graycrna4u said: Beautiful Karen. Any pleasant smells?

Thanks, Gary! I have smelled the peonies this year trying to note its fragrance, but they seem to have the same smell to me. Most of its scent smells rather unpleasant. For example, my seedling smells kind of lemony when it first opens and the scent is mild which is nice. But as it matures, its scent intensifies, changes, and becomes the unpleasant scent that most peonies possess. I am sorry but I am not a fan of peony's fragrance. I wish I can say more positive things about it.

My favorite TP, Lavender Hill opens its first blooms today. Wow, it's so gorgeous! The color, form, the many petals layers just take my breaths away. Every bloom is special. Please allow me to share multiple pics of it. I just love it so much.

kousa said:
...
My favorite TP, Lavender Hill opens its first blooms today. Wow, it's so gorgeous! The color, form, the many petals layers just take my breaths away. Every bloom is special. Please allow me to share multiple pics of it. I just love it so much.

Karen, your Lavender Hill is beautiful Cannot wait to see it fully open. Please post more picture with fully open blooms.

Mine will bloom for the first time this year. Only one bud though. I cannot wait to see the colour that everyone talks about. I would love to see the whole mature plants fully open, like yours. Once again, congratulations.

Beautiful Karen. My first herbaceous opened today. Tango. Beautiful cardinal red blooms.

I love watching the new blooms show up in this thread across the different zones. It is such an exciting time and everyone has beautiful flowers of many varieties!

7b here and my first three bloomed on the same day 4/16: Early Scout, Vanilla Schnapps, and Athena. Early Scout and Athena have already been shown in this thread, so I will take a minute to brag about Vanilla Schnapps. This is a second year root from Peony Shop and it has increased this year. I love this plant. It is early, has large blooms, double, and has strong stems. One of the stems produced side buds.


Early Canary (first bud to open), Lemon Chiffon, and Vanilla Schnapps (last bud to open) were all in bloom today. Early Canary is a tad more peach than the other two. Lemon Chiffon and Vanilla Schnapps are practically the same color (both are second year plants). Lemon Chiffon (from Peony Shop) bloomed single again . I recall reading that Lemon Chiffon only blooms double in colder zones or that depending on where you get it from, you might have one that is double more often. I lined up the three blooms with their name tags in one picture. The other has Early Canary on the left, Lemon Chiffon on the top right, and Vanilla Schnapps on the bottom right.



Early Canary


Lemon Chiffon


Watermelon Wine has such an intense color it draws you in from across the yard. Third year plant from Adelman's, and it finally increased.


Coral and Gold has a lovely intense color, but I find myself wondering why I picked this color instead of one of the more common double corals.


Takara (Smith Opus 2) is doing really well this year and is an impressive plant. Second year and it is probably a three feet wide and loaded with blooms. The blooms are bigger than the blooms on Keiko, which I also love (it is very floriferous). Keiko opened a few blooms today, but I forgot to take a picture.

THanks, Jasmin and Gary! Jasmin, I think that you will like LH's flower. The color is so beautiful when seen in person.

Gary, love your Tango! What a striking shade of red! Your flowers look fantastic this year.

Shelby, thank you for sharing your yellow blooms. It's great that you put the flowers together like above so that we can see the subtle differences of the color among them. I don't have much luck with Vanilla Schnapps. I am glad that you have better results with VS. I think the buds are susceptible to late frosts when they are unprotected. Also, it fades really quickly when it blooms in the heat. I have only two buds on my bush this year eventhough the bush is 7 years old. Love your Early Canary! I really dig that flower! Watermelon Wine is very nice too!

Tree peonies blooming in my garden today:

Ofuji Nishiki


Lavender Hill




Maybe Hoki



Maybe Shimano Fuji




Various Forms of Joseph Rocks on the same tree - many double blooms this year.