The Garden Awakens
Anise 'Woodland Red' ( Illicium floridanum ) A few weeks ago, I thought spring would never arrive, but now the change is astonishing. The nights are still cold (40s and sometimes even 30s) so planting tender annuals and vegetables is unwise although I have already succumbed, but covering and uncovering things gets old quickly. Someone made a wise comment last week and I must agree with them - "Don't plant anything tender until after May 1". Several plants are blooming like never before. One is the Anise shrub (above and below). I don't know if the recent tree pruning, which is allowing more sun into the woodland path, is affecting it or perhaps it is just age, but I've never seen so many blooms. Michael refers to this as "the stinky fish shrub" and I have to admit to smell of the flowers is quite unpleasant. It is so beautiful that I can overlook that. The old pink dogwood tree, which was already here, shades our woodland path and it too is prett
Oh, I am so jealous. I would love to grow peonies, but it is just too hot here. Even though the bloom did not last long, it was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJan Always Growing
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThese do not do all that well in San Francisco, but I do love them. That one looks beautiful.
Wow, they're blooming already in Alabama? Mine hasn't even yawned and stretched to wake up yet. Gives me something to look forward to. Yours is lovely!
ReplyDeleteTree Peonies are one of my favorites! I have 6 different ones. My oldest is a yellow that's almost 3 ft tall and about 10 years old. But my favorite is a giant pale pink with blooms almost a ft across.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the pics here...http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/559072453ibzqRX?vhost=home-and-garden
Mine has never bloomed. I finally moved it to a new spot in the fall thinking that might help. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteHi Phillip, what a gorgeous blossom. Ten years old and only two feet? Could it be a dwarf variety, my white one is at least four feet but the red one that will open fully today is about the two feet height, but is a younger plant. Yours with the double petals is a stunning specimen!
ReplyDeleteJan and Philip, I think gardeners are always wanting to grow things that are not meant for their zone. I know I do.
ReplyDeleteJodi, actually it bloomed weeks ago. I'm just now getting around to posting it.
Wayne, for some reason I couldn't get your URL to work. I'm looking forward to seeing your peonies.
Robin, good luck and don't give up!
Frances, it could be. I have no recollection of the name or where I got it.
Lovely & luscious! I can't wait for mine - it's got buds. I saw a photo in a book of market umbrellas used to protect Tree Peony blossoms. It seemed sort of silly, but if I lived in the South, I'd probably get one. (I have been known to put a rain umbrella over my plant temporarily to protect it from a thunderstorm.)
ReplyDeleteGeorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. I tried growing some from one of those cut rate mail order nurseries but all the bare root plants were shriveled failures. I finally bought some potted white ones which I like very much but I see I should buy a red and a yellow and a purple and a.... Thanks for a preview of what will arrive soon for us northerners.
ReplyDeleteBTW, have you tried growing them from seed? Our plants produced a lot of seed but I understand they are notoriously fickle as to growing conditions and have yet to give it a shot.
Phillip, your garden is spectacular! I've just been catching up on the two post I've missed. I've been so very busy. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! I am just enchanted by it all.
ReplyDelete-Randy
Phillip,
ReplyDeleteThis is my second attempt to post a comment, I think I tried yesterday when blogger was down. I love the tree peony and tried to grow it but all I got after the first year's one bloom are beautiful leaves...it's time to try to move it! That red bloom is fabulous.
gail
Wow, that's a fabulous color, Phillip - my only IL tree peony was white and I loved it, but could sure get fond of this one!
ReplyDeleteBefore we put the Illinois house up for sale I dug up my tree peony and brought it to a friend's house. That was in early March when everything was dormant but the soil was defrosted. Two years later it had more than 20 blooms in my friend's garden.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Very nice peony tree. I have a yellow one that has been in my garden for as long as I have had the garden which is 7 years now. Mine is also about 2 feet tall and wide. Last year I only had one bloom because of the unusally late frost we had killed the rest of the buds. But this year it looks like I will have a wonderful show of blooms. I too wish they lasted longer. But the shot show is worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteI had a deep violet tree peony in my garden in Oakland, California. it was glorious! I'm in Dallas now, and I'm told they'll do well here. These need less chilling than the herbacious peonies. One peony site I found has (no joke) the parchment Japanese umbrellas traditionally used to shelter the blooms. I've seen these in gardens in korea, and the effect is really quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteOnce the blooms have faded 9still too soon for me) the umbrellas are stowed until the next year.
it looks like the japanese tree peony taiyo "the sun" i have one they are very bright red and very showy.
ReplyDeleteGives me something to look forward to. Yours is lovely!
ReplyDelete