Public gardens have opened their outdoor spaces. We are just in time for peonies. I went to Whistling Gardens yesterday. It opened on June 3rd, so I was there for the first open week.
What did I go to see? The largest peony collection in North America. There are over 1,200 varieties. Here's the excerpt from the website:
"Since the fall of 2013 with the first plantings of donated peonies, the collection now encompasses 1,200 species and varieties. It is the largest collection in North America by far. It is also one of the most complete collections of peonies in the world. A new formal garden was initially planted in 2017 and finished in 2018 with well over 500 varieties. David (Maltby) and the Cooks continue to donate new specimens each season. The Itoh Hybrid collection is moving into the conifer garden."
In comparison the Michigan national collection located in Ann Arbor, at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nicols Arboretum, has 262 varieties. It has a long tradition and has been been preserving peony varieties since 1922.
The first picture shows the rarest peony in the collection. Darren was very happy to have it blooming this year, and he says he can make divisions of it later season - that would allow him to preserve it.
There are a lot of species of peonies. At the most general level, the types are herbaceous - what we mostly see in gardens; tree peonies - they re tall with woody stems and enormous flowers, and itoh (or "Intersectional") and these are a 1948 cross between tree peonies and herbaceous.
Peonies are beloved for their delicate appearance, sweet fragrance and as a symbol of good fortune and a happy marriage. Marco Polo described them as roses as big as cabbages. Can you imagine seeing them for the first time?
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