My husband's family built a new house in 1934, and planted a few peonies. More than 20 years later my father-in-law moved a division of one of those peonies to the farmyard of his son's newly purchased farm. Another 30 years - I arrived on the scene and wanted a row of "that pretty peony" along the driveway. I still can't believe how many divisions my husband got from that huge clump - 14 along the driveway and 6 more along the south side of the house. The peony? 'Mons. Jules Elie', an illustrious beginning to my on-going love of peonies!




'Mons. Jules Elie'

Just beautiful Linda! MJE is on of the plants I ordered for fall delivery this year. It is just gorgeous, I can't wait to see it mature and bloom here.

Your row is just gorgeous. I wish I could allow myself to get a bunch of one plant for a display like yours, but my desire to have many different peony flowers prevents me.

Victoria-- that one peony (and its divisions) is all we had for years! Then my husband bought "a white one and a red one" from a local nursery. The red one turned out to be a deep rose color and the white one is still my favorite white, but I don't know what it is. It is a very "white" white ... no shading of cream or pink, no red flecks. I was thinking when it bloomed the other day that if I were going to name it, I would call it 'Pure Heart'.
Now we have about 60 named cultivars and 10 more ordered for fall delivery! But only the walnut tree has interfered with our long row of 'Mons. Jules Elie'.