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The First Peony - 'Shima-Nishiki'

The Tree Peony 'Shima-Nishiki' is the first to bloom. The name means "fire flame" in Japanese, an apt title to describe the red blooms striped with white. Occasionally, there are solid red blooms. Every year this peony gets better and seemingly overnight, the puny-looking bare branches are suddenly fleshed out with a tremendous profusion of leaves. The bush is dense, forming a 4 ft. mound. Our plant resides at the top of one of the terrace beds in back where it gets some morning sun and dappled sun (mostly shade) for the remainder of the day.  We have many peonies in the garden and they all came from Adelman Peony Gardens in Salem, Oregon. It is worth a drive just to see their beautiful display garden in May. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Red Spider Lily



About a month ago, I was writing about Lycoris squamigera (better known as "Naked Ladies") and now her cousins, Lycoris radiata (also known as Red Spider Lily or Hurricane Lily) is sprinkling the neighborhoods with their bright red flowers. Grown from bulbs, red spider lilies seem to thrive on neglect and the prettiest ones are usually in the poorest soils. Do you have hard red clay? No problems! They thrive in it. The bulbs are hard to find in nurseries and most people get them from friends and trade lists. They multiply rapidly regardless of drought.

Like the Naked Ladies, these plants grow in the same manner, appearing out of nowhere in early fall and blooming with no foliage. The foliage appears after the bloom and grows throughout the winter. Shade is not a problem for these bulbs as long as they are planted under deciduous trees because they will get the winter sun to develop the nutrients for next fall's bloom.

Although they are usually seen sprinkled here and there in lawns, they made a statement when planted in masses. The big splashes of red are a sure sign that fall has arrived.
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  1. Brenda PruittOctober 1, 2008 at 4:29 PM

    I had some come up I suppose from a previous owner. I didn't know what they were at first. Thank goodness I didn't chop them down before I figured it out! They are so delicate-looking and beautiful!
    Brenda

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  2. AnonymousOctober 1, 2008 at 5:00 PM

    So Beautiful! I have some that mysteriously appeared a couple of years ago. I have absolutely no idea whence they came. We have lived here almost twenty years, maybe it was the Garden Fairy:)

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  3. Phillip OliverOctober 1, 2008 at 5:19 PM

    They do have a tendency to pop up in odd places. I'm not sure how they do that.

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  4. CosmoOctober 1, 2008 at 5:28 PM

    Pretty photo, Phillip--they provide fabulous color, don't they? We threw some away by mistake once (digging a bed in spring)--the dirt we moved in May (heavy clay) was alive with flowers in October.

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  5. Lisa at GreenbowOctober 1, 2008 at 6:09 PM

    These are gorgeous. I don't beleive they grow in zone 6 which is where I am located. I have never seen them any place around here. I would surely have them if they did grow here.

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  6. F CameronOctober 1, 2008 at 7:28 PM

    I was just talking about trying these, so I appreciate your post and photos. Thanks, Cameron

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  7. vicki johnsonOctober 2, 2008 at 6:41 AM

    i always enjoy reading your posts...even if it creates a little envy on my part!

    Also...very handsome containers that you designed! Have you ever heard/seen Rita Randolph speak or visited her family's nursery in Jackson, TN...she specializes in containers and is a total hoot to talk to...passionate and enjoyable. There are some good pics on their web site, randolphsgreenhouses dot com if you interested.

    Congratulations on those beautiful combinations...i look forward to seeing what you come up with for this new season.

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  8. AnonymousOctober 2, 2008 at 8:51 AM

    I went and photographed some my neighbor has. They are so pretty and look so delicate that you think they would need rich soil, but hers are planted in red sand.~~Dee

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  9. Philip BewleyOctober 2, 2008 at 9:58 AM

    Hi Phillip,

    What a great addition for the fall garden.
    I have not seen these here.
    Thanks for showcasing such an interesting plant.
    Best,
    Philip

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  10. Roses and LilacsOctober 2, 2008 at 11:10 AM

    Those are gorgeous, that red is a knock out. I had some when I lived in Alabama and loved them.
    Marnie

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  11. AnonymousOctober 2, 2008 at 9:27 PM

    Hey, hey Phillip! ;0) I did not use to care for lycoris radiata, but this year for some reason, I have become fascinated with them! Randy dug up a majority of ours by the driveway to trade off for other plants, etc. I see these growing here, there and everywhere, but not for long. I am going to carry a spade in the trunk of my car and small box and when I see these lil' beauties growing somewhere haphazard, they're going in my trunk to come home with me!!

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  12. AnonymousOctober 2, 2008 at 9:51 PM

    I just found out what these were yesterday. So many people call them naked ladies around here, thats what I thought they were, but now I know! I love your flowers you did downtown, they are beautiful! I live in Sheffield and am trying to get my flowers going. Mandy

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  13. AnonymousOctober 3, 2008 at 11:07 AM

    Hi Phillip, thanks for the info on these. I have the pink ones and just ordered a pot on one, not cheap either from plant delights. It has foliage showing now, a good sign. I hope it will multiply for a good show later. I also ordered some oxblood lilies from southern bulb company but they haven't arrived yet. They are also called schoolhouse lilies and hurricane lilies, just like the spiders. I have read that extra water is what makes them pop up, could that be true?

    Frances
    new url
    http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/

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  14. SkeeterOctober 3, 2008 at 6:06 PM

    That is quite the cluster of spiders there! They look so wonderful and bright. I bet they glow...

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  15. TammyOctober 7, 2008 at 7:36 PM

    Hey there Phillip,

    I came to a screeching halt and backed up a road over some Naked Ladies last week. No one has lived in that house since I moved to this state and there they were shocking red beauties in the unmowed grass. Had I a shovel, they would have been relocated!

    In answer to your question on my new not long ago ... and oh so not current blog - yes Lost In The flowers is replacing Guilty Gardener.

    I have been so busy writing to earn a living I have just fallen so behind on everything else I was once on top of. I hope to get everything under control again soon. Don't loose faith. In the meantime, you can read some of my more boring writing at http://id-theft-prevention.org/Identity-Theft-Crimes.html. The majority of content on this site was written by non other than moi.

    Have a great day,
    Tammy
    Lost In The Flowers

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  16. UnknownOctober 8, 2008 at 6:21 PM

    Gorgeous. I have some passalong from my dad and it's the first year so I think I may not get much. But I'm looking forward to more in the future.

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  17. RebekahNovember 20, 2008 at 12:00 AM

    These flowers always make me smile, they are my grandmother's favorite flower and as a young girl I would always pick a large bunch of them. I would love to plant tons of them in my yard. What a beautiful photo of the spiders, you don't often see these but they are so interesting.

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