OPEN GARDEN SCHEDULE

Yes, it's that time of year again.  Peonies buds are now unfurling, and the glorious bloom will now be on full display over the next few weeks.  This season has again been slow with a cold long spring.  However, the plants look good and many of the more mature plants are full of buds.

My peony open gardens will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26 and Sunday, July 3 for any visitors who would like to make the short trek to my site near Townsend.

Some of the varieties that should be particularly nice this year are mature specimens of Old Faithful, The Fawn, Red Charm, Hillary, Bev, Bartzella, Garden Treasure, Etched Salmon, and many more.

I look forward to seeing you out on the farm and visiting with you about some of the more unique and special peonies you can find anywhere.  As an added plus many of my varieties are no-stake--and all peonies are quite deer resistant.  And, of course, if you should see a few varieties that you just can't live without, you may reserve them for fall digging.

Be sure to check out my "About" tab for complete directions for getting to the Private Stock Perennials growing site.  As well, there is a Google map to help you hone in on precisely where I'm located.

One precaution--Few mosquitos have made their appearance so far, but with all the water and wet weather, a good crop of them could be present most any time now!  Bring your mosquito repellent.

This year, I will be offering some outstanding new varieties of peonies and lilies. New peony additions, albeit in limited numbers, are Hillary, a newer rose-colored intersectional which fades nicely to cream and pink and sports excellent foliage well into late fall; Douglas Brand, a big double watermelon red with stout stems; White Frost, an extremely fragrant pure white double that holds its stems nicely erect; and Etched Salmon, a lovely and fragrant double pink featuring a very neat and tailored appearance.

And for you peony connoisseurs who are looking for that very special and rare peony, don't hesitate to ask me about varieties that may not appear in my catalog. I may have a few to offer at a fair price.

New lilies for 2011 include Dimention, which is a very nice deep purple maroon L.A. Hybrid; Baywatch, purported to be a relatively early blooming pink Orienpet with upfacing blooms; and Timezone, a lavender Orienpet with a highly finished appearance.  And after a one-year hiatus, I will also have an expanded offering of Holland Beauty, an absolutely enormous Orienpet that performed well under field conditions last season.  As you can see, I'm fond of Orienpets because many are quite hardy (with just a bit of added winter protection) and they have the fragrance and size that Asiatics lack.

Finally, don't miss out on the opportunity this year to try some of the best of the intersectional peonies, Garden Treasure,  Bartzella or Hillary? I'm confident that if you shop and compare, you'll see the price is right this year for one of these gorgeous but hardy tree peony crosses. And I hope to again have lots of the Orienpet lily, Conca D'Or, on hand this year as potted plants. This is absolutely a "must-have," with its enormous blooms, heady fragrance, and wind-resistant stems.  Please refer to articles under the Gardening Articles tab, which more thoroughly describe the great attributes of both intersectional peonies and Orienpet lilies as well as records observations about the performance of some of my peonies during the 2010 season.

I am grateful to each of you for helping make my 2010 season a success, and I look forward to introducing more unique, hardy, and highly collectible varieties of peonies, lilies, and hosta for your consideration this year.

 Wishing You a Great Gardening Season!