There are so many breathtaking peonies to select from that I thought I would list a ‘few’ that are popular year after year.
Our gardening customers can't get enough of Red Charm (bomb style peony flowers) and Henry Bockstoce (double flowers with ‘waxy’ petals) two large red-headed peonies. Other red peonies that are popular include Command Performance (the orange-red dynamo of a flower) and Old Faithful (stoutest peony plant, with great big, beautiful, dark red flowers).
The coral peonies are always admired, with their big, showy flowers. Coral Charm, a peach-coral semi-double peony; Coral Sunset, with a hint of orange in the coral; Coral Supreme, with a pink overtone; Abalone pearl (pink coral) and Pink Hawaiian Coral (coral pink) – all of them capture immediate attention with their stunning beauty! These are the ones that people run from their cars to get a closer look at.
There are so many lovely white peonies, and a few of the favorites are Avalanche, Immaculee and Gardenia. Myrtle Gentry, Camellia White and Serene Pastel are magnificent blush (soft pink) peonies. Brides love these peonies.
You can't beat the fragrance of Camellia White, Gardenia or Myrtle Gentry, except with White Cap (a bi-colored peony of magenta-red & creamy white that smells ‘better than a rose’). Cheddar Surprise (a full, double white with yellow stamens) is also at the top of the list of sweetly fragrant peonies, and as a late season bloomer, it is still dazzling in the peony field at the end of the bloom season. Mt. St. Helens, a dark red, double peony has also climbed onto the list of our best fragrant peonies. This year, I kept a Myrtle Gentry bloom close by, so I could have a whiff of it's sweet 'perfume' throughout the day.
Hot pink peony choices include: Joker, Magenta Moon and Theatrical. And, then there are the yellows: Prairie Moon; and, the Itoh (Intersectional) peonies Bartzella and Garden Treasure - with their extra bonus of a lemony fragrance.
For customers that like the bi-colored peony flowers, Gay Paree (pink & white), Green Lotus (green, brown & white), Raspberry Sundae (pink, white & yellow), Senorita (hot pink & white), Showgirl (pink & yellow) and the Itoh (Intersectional) peonies Hillary, Julia Rose (blended colors)and Lemon Dream (yellow with purple) are at the top of their lists.
Lois’ Choice peony is so unique & beautiful, it is hard to adequately describe (a blend of pink, yellow, apricot & peach. If you were to give a bouquet of half-opened Lois’ Choice buds to your Mother, Father or a special friend, they would wonder what they could have possibly done to deserve such a hideous looking bouquet; but, as they unfurl and fully open, they will be calling you with exasperated delight and thank you for the most amazingly beautiful flowers. To watch buds like that transform is fascinating (Carnation Bouquet & Salmon Glory peony plants have similar buds).
These are just some of the beloved peonies that we raise at Brooks Gardens. The list grows & grows, because every peony is someone’s favorite. You probably have a favorite, too. It could be the flower, foliage, fragrance or the memory of someone special that endears you to it. Peonies are astonishing flowers; every garden deserves them.
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