Paeonia 2009

[Lvandelft]

Robin, that is beautiful and so early flowering! And exciting too, because of seeding around 
Looking at the picture, does it grow on a light shady spot?

[Lesley Cox]

Unfortunately I DIDN'T crop the picture Hans, that's as big as the original which I simply resized, so I can't show the foliage better.

And when I think about it, I'm a little mixed up anyway. The picture I posted was not of my own plant (mine are still in their first growth seedlings) but belongs to a Victorian gardener, near Otto's house. It is being grown there, and in a NSW garden I visited, as P. mascula ssp. russii, so if there is a mistake, it is theirs, not mine. Marcus Harvey gave me seeds under the names P. m. russii and P. m. hellenica. so I hope one of them turns out to be this delicately pink plant.

[Paul T]

Robin,

The P. mairei is glorious.  Being so early is an added benefit.  Good colour and shape to it as well.  One I haven't come across before, so thanks for the education. 

[Hans J]

Unfortunately I DIDN'T crop the picture Hans, that's as big as the original which I simply resized, so I can't show the foliage better.

And when I think about it, I'm a little mixed up anyway. The picture I posted was not of my own plant (mine are still in their first growth seedlings) but belongs to a Victorian gardener, near Otto's house. It is being grown there, and in a NSW garden I visited, as P. mascula ssp. russii, so if there is a mistake, it is theirs, not mine. Marcus Harvey gave me seeds under the names P. m. russii and P. m. hellenica. so I hope one of them turns out to be this delicately pink plant.

Lesley ,

no problem ....
I will post later pics of leaves from both plants ...
It is easier distinguish from the leaves - also it is easy from the seeds - they are really different .

[Hans J]

Hi all,

Paeonia mairei is the first peony to flower and it seeds around abundantly in our garden.

Robin

Hi Robin ,

It is interesting what you write with P. mairei - I grow these plants since many years and they are here also always one of the first ....but I had never any frutis or seeds on them ( I have two different clones from different sources ) -OK - I have never hand pollinate it ...but they grows side by side ....

[Hans J]

Lesley ,

here now some pics from the garden today ( a pic says always more than 1000 words ) :


here the typical glossy leaves of P.russoi - the leaves are sometimes with and sometimes without hairs on the backside

here the typical red stems of P.russoi

here a flowering plant of P. russoi

[Hans J]

here now P.mascula hellenica :


here is a pic from my trip in last year to the island of Andros where this plants grow ....I'm sorry to report that my own plants which I had for many years is died this winter- it was to long unusual cold

here is a pic of the other ssp. of P. masc. hellenica from Ikaria - thats seedlings grown from seed by me

The big difference is that the leaves of P.hellenica is not glossy -and it has also not this strong red stems .

If you meet Marcus Harvey so please ask him from where his plants orginal came -that would be easier .

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Fascinating stuff Hans and Robin !
Great foliage and flowers !
Marvelous ! 

[Robin Callens]

Robin, that is beautiful and so early flowering! And exciting too, because of seeding around 
Looking at the picture, does it grow on a light shady spot?

Luit,

We have several P. maireis and they all grow in woodland conditions. Dappled shade.

Robin

[Robin Callens]

Hi Robin ,

It is interesting what you write with P. mairei - I grow these plants since many years and they are here also always one of the first ....but I had never any frutis or seeds on them ( I have two different clones from different sources ) -OK - I have never hand pollinate it ...but they grows side by side ....

Hi Hans,

I have 3 clones of P. mairei. I also never hand pollinated any of them and they produce seed every year abundantely. Almost every seed germinates and grows much faster than the other peony species.

Robin

[Lesley Cox]

The leaves of the species I photographed were quite glossy, much more so than in your picture Hans, of P. m. hellenica. I'll forward my picture to Marcus and see what he thinks. He has a new seed list out with both subspecies listed so I'm ordering both.

[Joakim B]

Hi after a nice visit to Serra de Aires in Portugal organizedby the APO (association of orchidophilis (orchid lovers) in Portugal) I have some pictures of wild paeonia.
From distance they almost looks like a inense tulip 
I love them and try to grow some in the garden as well.
All of them are gardencenter varieties except for a P delavayi  seedlings. These are growing so that they get trampeled  so not so good progress as what I wanted.
Here are the wild followed by the tree peony that was flowering 1 month ago.
It was windy as h.ll when taking the picture so that is whay I did not manage to get it in center. The day after i had broken and was lying on the ground.
The wild ones are P broteroi

enjoy
Joakim

[BULBISSIME]

What beautifull plants everybody !!
Hans and hans and Oron, flowers and leaves are crasy !

Here is one of my favourite Paeonia, from Crete , P. clusii ( same as your's Oron ), just starting to flower now.
Very nice plant but really very very very.... slow to grow from seeds : about 8 years to get the first flower 

[Sinchets]

The first one here in the garden P. mascula mascula (?)

[Robin Callens]

Here is one of my favourite Paeonia, from Crete , P. clusii ( same as your's Oron ), just starting to flower now

Fred,

Indeed a very attractive plant but difficult to please in my garden. Much easier to grow and also a beautifull plant is Paeonia obovata alba:

Robin