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Re: Paeonies

Over the years, I've noticed Paeonies blooming in various parts of Santa
Clara Valley and observed they were most often old plantings located in
parking strips or in somewhat "abandoned" looking yards. In discussing this
with gardening friend Susie Mader, we thought that perhaps the lack of
care/lack of a lot of summer water forced them into the type of dormancy
that usually is just brought on by winter chill and this is perhaps why
they were thriving.

 My own thoughts are that the parking strip location (out near the street)
affords the most possible cold since there is no shelter from building
overhang. Also, since they were old plantings, they were probably early
cultivars and less fussy.

A couple of years ago Sunset Magazine (for Western USA gardens) published
an article about Paeonies blooming in Palo Alto (about 30 miles south-west
of San Francisco). That article suggested the early, single forms (I think
mostly Japanese cultivars). The article is still probably up in the
archives on their web site.

Tristan Hatton-Ellis sent me a e-mail some time back in response to this
same topic and I can't seem to find it right now. He listed the names of
several species Paeonies from the Mediterranean basin and Asia Minor. I
didn't find any local sources. I believe one of them was a USA west coast
native. Triston, if you are still around, perhaps you can re post the
information.

As for the Paeonies blooming in Strybing, they are Himalayan species (can't
remember the scientific name). The flowers are more in the orange to yellow
range and the bushes are quite large. They need the cool, moist, damp
conditions of San Francisco. (They are growing in a meadow, somewhat under
the overhang of some conifers.)

As for my own luck, I planted a single white a couple of years ago. But
something broke it off to the ground  and it is just now coming back. I'm
hoping for see flowers this summer.

Carol


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