Please share your favorite peony blooms with pics! What made them stand out to you? If they are not first year blooming plants, why do you like them more this year compared to other years?

For me this year, Philippe Rivoire was a delightful surprise. Its intense color (dark purplish red with a black sheen), its symmetrical form, and pleasant rose scent had been very memorable. I can't wait to see its bloom again next year. Unfortunately, my camera can't capture its beautiful color as seen by the eye.

With our miserable weather this spring the ones that stood out the best in my mind were the ones that came through that mess the best.

Blaze was barely impacted by the insane late snows (10" on Mother's Day!!!), just a few bent stems.




and Heidi. Heidi's stems were toast--looked like one of those insane switchback roads on the sport's car commercials, but it was covered by blooms. The stems looked so bad that I didn't take pics of the entire plant this spring but it was COVERED with blooms.



I have no idea what the name of this peony is but it stood out because of the crazy big blooms--even labeled the pic "crazy big blooms with tiny stems" in my computer! This one has been in my garden for several years and, while pretty, never stood out that much. I think this one is the most visually impressive example of what adding fertilizer (thanks, Karen!) does for peonies. The main blooms were easily 9" across and I didn't remove any side blooms.



Blonde Vision This one isn't supposed to be frost tolerant, a very, very bad thing in my area. I covered the plant with a huge, heavy pot every time the temps dropped and it rewarded me with very pretty flowers. Tiny plant, 2nd spring in my garden and only had 2 blooms, but one of my favorites. Doesn't bloom at the same time as Pastelegenece so I couldn't compare them side by side but reminds me of the color variation at 1/10th of the price.



2nd view of Blonde vision



Erma just because it reminds me so much of a magnolia bloom. I grew up in east Texas with massive magnolia trees, always loved the pretty flowers. That type of magnolia tree won't grow here in Co but I'm happy with the substitution of a peony!

I love your pink NOID and Blonde Vision Liz! Your pink noid bloom is nine inches across? That is huge! I love its bright pink color and it looks very much like a tree peony bloom. Blonde Vision definitely has a very unique color and its double form is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

I think my second favorite performer this year is Mrs. FDR. I can't seem to get enough of its gorgeous blooms. It remains attractive even when it is fading. Its blooms were the longest lasting peony blooms for me this spring.

Love Mrs FDR! I got another one last fall but it didn't make it to bloom, another one that was severely impacted by our weather. It is such a perfect flower, isn't it? Never ever seems to have a petal out of place....

That NOID has been in place for at least 6 years. The blooms have always been fairly large but they were enormous this spring, stood out even more since there were so many that didn't make it to bloom. This is the first time the blooms were too heavy for the stems, too--normally stands up really well. They're so bunched up in the photo because I put a peony ring on them after they started opening to get them off of the ground.

Already looking forward to next spring, hoping it'll be a little nicer to my plants than this one was.....It's been 3 or 4 years since we've had a fairly moderate one so I'm thinking it's time!

Liz, it took my Mrs. FDR 3 years to look this nice. The first spring, I had no flowers. The second spring, I had 2 flowers. This 3rd spring really brought out the best in her. Plus that I moved her to a sunnier location helped alot with blooms. They sure were not kidding when they said less sun for peonies mean less flowers. I really hope that you will get favorable weather next year. I don't know how you do it but I admire you greatly for it - dealing with the awful weather with such a positive attitude and nonchalance.

My third favorite is this mislabeled peony that looks like Whitecap. Ordered Gay Paree and got this:





It is extremely floriferous, has sturdy stems, and the blooms are rose scented. The foliage stays nice through the summer. Can't ask for a better landscape plant.

Nice, Karen! Is White Cap supposed to be rose scented or is that the reason you haven't formally identified it? It's extremely obvious it's doing great in that location.

Taiyo Tree Peony. Hadn't bloomed since 2011.



Raspberry Sundae. Supposed to be too hot here for it to bloom.



For years, I thought this one was Festiva Maxima. Pretty sure now it is not, but no idea what it is. Had 22 blooms on it this year, though.

I'll have to give two lists.

Tree Peony Best:
1)Joseph Rock Double
2) Yachiyo-tsubaki
3)hephestos
4)Anna Marie
5)angel Emily

All other peony best:
1)Garden Treasure
2)Melissa
3)Pink pompom
4)Pink Hawiaan Coral
5)carnation bouquet (tied)
5)Athena (tied)

It is so hard to choose. I love every single one so much when it blooms. Have made nice choices over the years and haven't ever dug one up because I haven't liked it. Rather, I have shared favorites with garden friends.

Debra, love your white NOID peony! It is the whitest peony that I ever see. My tree peony took 3 years to bloom and I thought it was long. I think your Taiyo is definitely worth the wait.

Tracey, why does JR Double get your first spot? Is it the scent or the form or the color? Like you, Athena is also my top favorite this year, placing at the 4th spot. Although it gave me only 2 small blooms this year, the flower colors are amazing. I can't wait to see it bloom again next year.

It's funny--I didn't like Athena AT ALL from the pictures posted by all of the major sellers! Frank's pictures last year made me stop and reconsider. Glad I did, love it now. Mine only had 2 buds this year and 1 was severely damaged by weather but I can already see why it would be in anyone's top 5!

I also love the whites with the really dark foliage, it's such a pretty contrast.

My daughter was reading an article about predictions from the Farmer's Almanac out loud to me today. If it's right you'll get another chance to have pretty peony blooms again next spring, Debra! She read that it predicts that the south will have another crazy cold winter this year, too. Isn't that 3 years in a row if it's right?

Yes, it would be. This past winter cold seemed to make so many of my flowers bloom exceptionally well and/or bloom with richer, deeper color. ALMOST worth another year of cold, but I have to think about that for a bit.

Yeah, stupid crazy weather for you guys this year so far. I remember seeing the pictures on Fox News of Six Flags submerged with the flooding during the spring. I hope you didn't have any damage there in Garland.

We did. About 20 houses flooded to near the roofline a couple of miles from me. So thankful, though, to have had the rain. The reservoirs were way down because of the last four years of drought, and now we haven't had rain for 39 consecutive days--fourth place in the records. Without that May precipitation...

OMG, you guys have the most extreme weather I know within the continental US. Can I ask what is your weather now, Liz? Hopefully you get something like the 70's to compensate for all the awful weather you had this spring.

I am going through a dry spell right now, but certainly nothing like what you are experiencing, Debra. It has been a week without rain and my plants are suffering. You have gone on 39 DAYS w/o rain, how does your garden and plants handle it? I am sure your area is much hotter than mine too.

Liz, that is the problem with NOID. You can never be sure of its identity. It seems the color, the form, and the scent all match White Cap, but I still not 100% if that is what it is. Unless its DNA matches White Cap, I guess I will never know. I will just continue to call it NOID that resembles White Cap.

They all wilt, Karen, especially as I only give minimal supplemental water. But, somehow, they usually manage to pull through and start giving me blooms again in September right into December. Good tradeoff.

We went straight from rain and hail to 85-95 degree days this year, Karen. Didn't have much of a spring, hopefully next year will be better!

I wonder how Melissa peony compares to Lemon Chiffon? They seem to have similar shade of yellow. I wonder if it is yellower than Lemon Chiffon and whether it is more colorfast than Lemon Chiffon? It is definitely a beauty!

When I first saw Melissa in a friend's garden, it was blooming the same time as Lemon Chiffon. I knew they weren't the same, I actually thought Melissa had nicer color and form. But that's just me. I told my friend at the time, the same thing too.

I added Lemon Chiffon this year. It will be interesting to compare them here. Lemon Chiffon gets all the attention and the price has stayed quite high. Hopefully Melissa will be put on the market (I was told it was sent to growers for cultivation and propagation) and give Lemon Chiffon a run for its money, well deserved at that. Nicely scented as well!

Double Joseph Rock does very well in fully double flowers that are fragrant and many blooms. I am also happy that it produces seed (open pollinated)

Tracey!

Is possible we get some seeds from your double Joseph Rock?

magnolialover said:When I first saw Melissa in a friend's garden, it was blooming the same time as Lemon Chiffon. I knew they weren't the same, I actually thought Melissa had nicer color and form. But that's just me. I told my friend at the time, the same thing too.

I added Lemon Chiffon this year. It will be interesting to compare them here. Lemon Chiffon gets all the attention and the price has stayed quite high. Hopefully Melissa will be put on the market (I was told it was sent to growers for cultivation and propagation) and give Lemon Chiffon a run for its money, well deserved at that. Nicely scented as well!

Double Joseph Rock does very well in fully double flowers that are fragrant and many blooms. I am also happy that it produces seed (open pollinated)