November, 1918 Ol)£ Tlower (BrOWCr 
THE PEONY 
Selecting the Five Best Peonies. 
Paper Read by W. F. Christman before Garden 
Flower Society. 
H aving something over 125 
varieties of Peonies growing in 
my garden, and broadly speak- 
ing there are about 500 varieties 
that are admirable for that purpose, 
you can readily understand that it is 
no easy matter to eliminate all but five 
that are best suited for the home gar- 
den. As personal opinions are so at 
variance I think it better that I suggest 
five varieties that I consider among the 
very best for the home garden. Among 
the many varieties now in cultivation, 
numbering in the thousands, it is obvi- 
ously manifest that some possess more 
desirable qualities than others. 
The Peony is one of the very oldest 
flowers in cultivation, written accounts 
of same going back to the year 77 
A. D., but it has only been within the 
past fifty or seventy- five years that 
marked improvement has been made, 
due to careful hybridizing and polleni- 
zation. Some really marvelous crea- 
tions have been developed within the 
past ten or fifteen years and within the 
next few years we will doubtless see 
many valuable and meritorious varie- 
ties propagated. A full double yellow 
Peony has not yet been secured, al- 
though Peonies possessing this color, 
to a great extent, are on the market. 
As it takes a great deal of time and 
unlimited palience to. develop new 
Peonies that are superior or equal to 
those now in cultivation, there will al- 
ways be a demand for the newer and 
rarer sorts by those who are making 
large collections or desire to possess 
the finest sorts obtainable. One grower 
who has originated many fine sorts 
catalogued one of his late productions 
at $50.00 each and sold a number at 
this price so you see it was a profitable 
venture for him. Many of the new 
sorts readily sell for $25.00 for a small 
division of the root, and as most varie- 
ties multiply quite rapidly, a large col- 
lection of these rare sorts is a valuable 
asset. 
What qualities are to be considered 
in choosing the five best Peonies for 
the home garden ? 
First, let us consider period of bloom. 
When gentle spring is ushered in and 
all nature seems to be bubbling with life 
and animation, we, who have patiently 
waited through the long winter months, 
gladly greet the earliest blooming 
Peony with considerable pride, for 
while it may not be the best, it is the 
best of its season and fills us with ex- 
pectant pleasure of what we know will 
soon follow. Let us follow this early 
blooming variety with one that makes 
its appearance a little later in the sea- 
son in a more dignified manner, having 
taken more time in preparing for the 
admiration that is sure to be bestowed 
upon it. In turn we will follow this 
with a more tardy arrival and last, but 
among the very best, we have chosen 
one of the latest Peonies to bloom ; 
one that appears on the scene, after 
most of the others have faded and 
gone. With judicious selection and 
careful cultivation one may have a suc- 
cession of bloom for four or five weeks. 
Second, we will consider color. This 
is a matter of personal taste and is so 
much at variance with different indi- 
viduals that I have attempted to cover 
as wide a range of color as possible 
with the few varieties I have been per- 
mitted to name ; bright mauve pink, 
white, ruby, red, pale lilac rose and 
rose white or flesh being the colors I 
have chosen. 
As a third feature, fragance is a most 
desirable attribute to any flower, and 
naturally appeals to one and all alike. 
It may be interesting to some of you 
to know that red Peonies, as a rule, 
lack agreeable fragrance, while many 
of this color have no fragrance at all. 
Fragrance is also found lacking in 
many single varieties. The full double 
pink varieties possess the most frag- 
rance. Some of the double whites are 
exceedingly fragrant. 
As a fourth requisite, let us consider 
blooming qualities. Only dependable 
blooming varieties have a place in a 
small collection. Some Peonies would 
be classed among the very best were 
it not for the fact that they are shy, 
unsatisfactory bloomers and not desir- 
able for this reason. I have not given 
the single varieties a place on my list, 
and while some of them are very beau- 
tiful, they are not as lasting in bloom 
as the double varieties. 
Classed in their season of bloom I 
wish to present the following varieties 
to you as my choice of five of the most 
desirable Peonies for the home garden : 
First on my list is Edulus Superba, origi- 
nated in 1824 by Lemoine. This is a bright 
pink flower, classed as mauve pink. It is 
universally admired by Peony lovers on ac- 
count of its extreme earliness and delightful 
fragrance. 
Next on the list is the universal favorite 
among the early whites known as Festiva 
Maxima. Although originated by Millez 67 
years ago it still holds undisputed sway as 
one of the very best early whites. The deli- 
cate carmine edges to be found on some of 
the inner petals adds an air of distinctiveness 
to the flower that appeals to all. 
For our third choice in order of blooming 
period we have chosen Monsieur Jules Elie, a 
very large flower of deep pink with silvery 
sheen. It is a strong grower, free bloomer 
and one of the very largest Peonies grown. 
This variety will create a desire to procure 
more of the higher type of Peony. This va- 
riety was originated in 1888 by Crousse. 
For the fourth I have chosen Felix Crousse. 
This variety was originated by Crousse in 
1881 and of its type and color it has no su- 
perior. It is a large, compact, globular bomb 
type, brilliant ruby red in color and, con- 
trary to most reds, has an agreeable fra- 
grance. It is a very striking flower and a 
mid-season variety. 
The fifth and last one on the list is Rich- 
ardson’s Grandiflora, originated by Richard- 
son in 1883. On account of the extreme 
lateness of this variety it is one of my favor - 
115 
ites. Its fragrance is pleasing and in color 
it is light pink or flesh tint. It is an exceed- 
ingly large flower, opening flat and full. It 
is a wonderful Peony and a gem in a class 
by itself. This variety is at its best after all 
the others named have faded and gone. 
With the collection just named you 
have started a nucleus for future plant- 
ing that I am sure will instill in you a 
desire to procure some of the rarer 
sorts, and you will find that the fasci- 
nation for the flower will grow as years 
pass. 
I have only chosen varieties that are 
moderately priced and within the 
means of all. 
One may possess the finest varieties 
that are in existence but without proper 
cultivation the most satisfactory results 
cannot be obtained. The process of 
planting is simply a preliminary step 
if you would get the most out of your 
plants. While it is true Peonies will 
produce bloom with practically utter 
neglect, the results secured through 
proper cultivation and care are so 
gratifying that you will feel amply re- 
paid for your efforts. They so readily 
respond to proper treatment that it is 
a pleasure rather than an effort to 
coddle them. 
Now just a word about cultivation 
before I close. Peonies like rich soil 
but avoid placing manure where it will 
come in direct contact with the roots 
of the plant. Don’t let the ground 
bake or become hard. Keep it well 
loosened up. Don’t work too close to 
the plants if cultivating deep, as you 
are apt to injure the root growth. 
Peonies, as a general rule, are not 
bothered with disease like some of our 
other favorite flowers. They can re- 
main for a number of years in the 
same location without being disturbed. 
Do not plant Peonies where Peonies 
have been removed unless new earth 
is substituted. Avoid planting under 
trees or in locations where the sun 
does not get a chance to penetrate. If 
you wish to cut the bloom for the house, 
do so just as the flower is unfolding, 
placing them in water immediately 
after cutting, but be sure that at least 
two sets of leaves are left on the stalk 
or stem from which the flower is re- 
moved. If you have a large number 
of plants or wish to secure large, ex- 
hibition bloom, disbud all but the cen- 
tral, or largest bud as soon as they 
have formed. 
Let me urge upon you to try one or 
more of the varieties I have named, if 
you cannot find room for them all, and 
I feel sure that you will realize, as you 
have never realized before, what a lot 
of beauty will welcome you each suc- 
cessive year, and if some of you do not 
become Peony enthusiasts, I will miss 
my guess. W. F. Christman. 
We have received from C. P. Hub- 
bard, Los Angeles, Calif., a freak Gladi- 
olus corm growing out of the side of 
the flower stalk about a foot from the 
ground. The variety is Golden King and 
the corm is three-quarters of an inch in 
diameter. While this freak is not un- 
known, it is not at all common and it 
may be caused by an injury to the flower 
stalk in cultivation or otherwise. 
