TREE PEONIES 



SEEDS 



The planting of the seeds of tree peonies, as 

 is the case with herbaceous peonies, brings new 

 varieties into existence. There is a constant sur- 

 prise and delight in raising tree peonies from 

 seed : beautiful and wonderful flowers reward the 

 patient gardener. Patience is indeed necessary. 

 The seeds, if planted as soon as they become ripe, 

 take at least a year to germinate — and a much 

 longer time if they have been allowed to become 

 dry and hard before being planted. After the 

 little plants appear, from five to seven years must 

 pass before one can hope for flowers. But during 

 the long wait when the plants are still too young 

 to bloom they have a charm of their own in the 

 diversity of their foliage. I know of two gardens 

 where tree peony seeds are planted regularly each 

 year, so that there are new ones blooming every 

 season. 



Tree peonies raised from seeds have the great 

 advantage of being on their own roots from the 

 start. Then, too, the seedlings, although differing 

 from the parents in most instances, equal them 

 in beauty. This is a point worthy of considera- 

 tion: for the same difficulty exists in purchasing 



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