Let's see and hear about those diminutive peony cultivars at or under two feet tall - the tinier, the better!

Petite Elegance - 24"


Pink Cotton Candy - 24"


Nice Gal -22 ". I've read this one grows around 28 inches but so far it's been shorter here.


Fairy Princess - 16". Photo taken at a friend's garden.


Lois' Choice - 24"

Those are really nice for any garden.. haven't heard of them before. Will have to look them up.
Found this-
Found patio peony's
https://youtu.be/Jr7tEszJSSI?s...

Very interesting. This seems a safer way to grow peony's in pots. I might give it a try.
Better than the critters eating all the roots. Great save… a small cultivar for small gardens or gardens plagues with ground critters.

Thank you Nick.

Nick - these are certainly all good doers here too. I am going to add some to the list you have started -
Avalon 24"


Border Charm at 20"



Crazy Aboutcha 24"


Early Scout at 20"

Here are some more good doers;
Eliza Lundy 24"


Earlybird at a mere 16"


Heidi - a fabulous 1972 intro at around 25"


Little Red Gem 20" and a three season good looker with cut foliage and wonderful red sterile seeds end of season


Ma Petite Cherie is a darling at 24"

Last of my list (getting the koi in before they freeze in the pool )
This is Peter Barr, at 24"-25" and an underused cultivar



Rosedale listed at 20" and perhaps a smidge taller;


Silly Sally - 24" and fairly new to me but really cute


Sweetie is 20" here and amazingly short for such a full double


Sunlight - another underused cv and just 20" tall


Last but not least - Thumbelina 20" and a very vigorous grower

Wonderful photos, Val! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Bea! I have come to really appreciate the short peonies recently. They are fantastic for the front of border and under or around other structures or taller plants. They are also less likely to require support with their low center of gravity. The plants in the video you shared looked awesome. I just wish they knew the cultivar names so I could look them up and know exactly what they were.

Val, thanks for a glimpse into your wonderful collection! They all look excellent and Eliza Lundy, Sweetie, and your Crazy Aboutcha are especially impressive for their fullness at that height. Sunlight looks spectacular; I will have to track that one down. On Thumbelina, is that a single plant?

On another note, the registry refers to a rock garden series selection by Krekler and Klehm. I have a few of these - Thumbelina, Royal Tot, Tinkerbelle, and Toy Delight. I've been meaning to write to Hollingsworth Peonies to see if they have some of the remaining ones and which might be distinct and superior. A project for winter!

You asked about Thumbelina Nick - although it sounds bad (I usually hate plants with this description) it is a runner! So is p. tenuifolia Rubra and Ellen Cowley - but I should really be saying 'it spreads by stolons'
That might be another thread to start

One that I have had my eye on is Laddie. 12 to 15 inch fern leaf.
The plan was to plant a row of dwarf peonies near the sidewalk.
But until the voles are under control……I don't dare because they seem to destroy anything there.
I did have a couple of those patio peonies which are named after capital cities.

Caroline - while we have voles aplenty here (and any digging critter really) I have found they only seem to burrow UNDER peonies and despite one cultivar being favoured by chipmunks for many years as an 'umbrella' to their 'cave' it did not upset the peony No-one seems to actually eat the roots so I would go ahead and plant that row and not worry

Oh I loved seeing the pic of Lois' choice thank you!

Val …you must have better behaved voles.
These ones are demolishing my peony roots.
They especially like the peonies with the "string bean" type of root.
Paliden is a shorter plant. Unfortunately the voles took it!

Caroline, the only way I have found to get rid of voles is with sticky paper traps. They come and go through the same hole so closing up the hole will just cause them to move the hole. If you find the hole they use, tack sticky paper around the entrance. Check it daily and dispose of critters.

I have not tried that….but I don't want other critters harmed.
The problem is the holes are right at the city sidewalk.
Placed traps inside yard but only caught two there.

Gary great idea never thought of that, will try your suggestion too‼️

There is a Canadian company that has the Patio peonies in their catalogue for about $15 CDN. Canadian Grower.ca ?
Any one know or ordered from them before?

I haven't looked at the company Caroline but I've seen many 'Patio series' peonies and if I'm not mistaken they are often not registered with the APS. This means that they can just be short seedlings, especially considering the price.

with Nick! Your Sunlight is spectacular, Val! @Vals_Garden That is one CV that I have not heard of before. It has such pretty colors and neat compact habit that I am surprised that it is underused and not widely offered.

I would love for my p. tenuifolia Rubra to spread. Mine just declined over the years and totally gone for the last 5 years now. I reordered them for fall this year. Hope for better growth prospects this time around.

Karen. As it's a Saunders intro it might be quite difficult to source now; I've had mine for 16 years already.
Good luck with the p. tenuifolia Rubra; I hope you can put it in a different location this year as it seems your old p.t.R. didn't like it there

Sunlight, still available
https://www.raritygardens.com/...