Tree peony in bloom

[Leon]

Today I noticed a bloom on a tree peony, Demetra(Dahnis).  I suppose that the extreme hot and dry weather of summer put the plant into dormancy and with the cooler fall weather with moisture the plant thought the dormant period has ended. The bloom has the characteristic color of Demetra but the conformation of the bloom is a bit horrid.  I elected to not photograph it.

[Otto Fauser]

Leon 2 named japanese tree paeonies flowering in my garden now -the right time here in the southern hemisphere . I find the japanese ones more refined than the chinese varieties . s

[Leon]

Otto,

I agree.  The Japanese tree peonies are much more refined than the Chinese tree peonies.  The Chinese cultivars are closer to the wild type.  The Japanese cultivars have been bred for favorable characteristics for centuries.  I think that one characteristic that the Japanese selected for was later bloom.  Chinese tree peonies are very unreliable here due to the plants trying to bloom while the weather is still trying to move from winter to spring.  Generally the blooms are damaged by a late freeze that kills or severely damages the bloom.

Leon

[annew]

Sumptuous, Otto.

[Lesley Cox]

I have two very large plants given to me by a paeony nurseryman who was closing down at the time. I haven't seen them in flower yet as they are so big I don't know where to put them but they'll have a home when we move in late February. They are double to semi-double white, I'm told and the name on them is 'Gesakai' so I'm wondering if they are the same as your 'Kessekai.' Otto. They were originally imported from America by the grower, or rather their parent plant was. He also gave me 'Boreas,' and a lemon called 'Prairie Moonlight.' Nice man.

[Leon]

When I saw Kessekai I also wondered if it could be Gessekai instead.  I am familiar with that peony name but I don't grow it.  I do grow Boreas.  I don't think I have ever heard of Prairie Moonlight. I notice that is is a 2000 registration by McFarlane out of New Zealand so it probably does not exist in the USA.  The description of single, lemon color with a wine flare makes it sound very worthwhile.

[Leon]

Leslie,

You poor thing.  You are moving?  Are you able to take all of your plants with you?

[Lesley Cox]

Part One - Well that's most interesting Leon because it was Hamish McFarlane who gave me these plants. I didn't realize that he also bred and registered some. The 'Prairie Moonlight' is a lovely soft lemon, semi double and very beautiful.

Part Two - Yes we are moving on or about 22nd Feb next year so we still have a little over 3 months until completion of our contract. In the meantime I am lifting and potting madly, and probably going mad in the process. I'll do some pics shortly of the "booty" all of which is with our buyers' consent of course. So far I have about 180 trays ready to go but that's about half (nursery as well as garden) then there are all the troughs etc. We are very fortunate that the people from whom we have bought are happy to let us take stuff there in the interim as there's no way it could all be done in one day!

We were all set to go to a particular place, a private sale, then those people literally sold it out from under us as we were in the process of negotiating a final price. I believe "gazzumped" is the word used. Our solicitor said he was disgusted at how they had behaved as they didn't ask if we could match or better the price they had been offered by a new party, and obviously they were people who couldn't be trusted. This time is a better experience but still won't be a final sale until Nov 23rd.

Maybe I'll start a blog on the whole process.

[Otto Fauser]

John & Lesley , sorry for my spelling mistake . Ofcourse it should be 'Gessekai '

      Lesley please tell us more about your new property : size ,locality etc . Hope you will be lucky this time and get it      Otto.

[vanozzi]

The only tree paeony that flowered for me this year.

[Leon]

Paul,
That is a beautiful red tree peony, and very large bloom.  Do you know the cultivar name?

[vanozzi]

G'day Leon, glad you like it--it's paeony Gauguin,American bred and perhaps my favourite. Very striking bloom that holds its colour well. I only have five cultivars, wish I had more.

[Paul T]

Paul,

I bought this one recently, so interesting to see it.  I had thought it was more of a coppery colour than that, so good to know.  I grow a few of the tree Paeonia, but only P. ostii, 'Flambeau' and 'Chinese Dragon' flowered for me this year.  I think I have 7 or 8 others.

[YT]

Leon 2 named japanese tree paeonies flowering in my garden now -the right time here in the southern hemisphere . I find the japanese ones more refined than the chinese varieties . s

Hello Otto, the correct name of your white flower cultiver in the second picture is 'Gessekai' (月世界), means 'the lunar world' in Japanese

[Leon]

Gauguin is a unique color mix.  In my garden Gauguin is rather coppery in color.  It opens yellow overlaid with red and as the days progress the red is softened by the sun and the flower matures to more golden and copper. Different growing conditions can make tree peonies like Gauguin appear different.  Cooler shady conditions could bring out more red.


Gauguin (Daphnis, 1965)