'Sarah Bernhardt' peony

gnabonnand

15 years ago

First bloom ever beginning to open up on my 'Sarah Bernhardt' peony.

Randy

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Comments (7)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
15 years ago
Thanks for confirming that peonies will flower in Texas. Al
gnabonnand
Original Author
15 years ago
Lol, Al, actually I have found that most of them won't bloom here.
The other varieties I've tried have just teased me.
This one is different, for some reason.
Just one of the reasons I appreciate this one so much!

Randy
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Did you buy a potted peony? Is it your intention to grow it as a container plant permanently? A peony grown as a container plant in the sun of Dallas would require a large container indeed, as it would soon fill with roots, and be almost impossible to keep it watered. A peony not in the sun will still grow but will not bloom well, even if you can provide enough winter chill, which is doubtful in Dallas, and impossible in a covered patio in Dallas. Al
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Hi Amyjean, do you already have the SB peonies? Or are those the variety you covet for the hedge? I agree with Irina that there will be a lot of work that goes into a "hedge" of SB. I planted some peonies in a row on my slope and spaced them about 3' apart which seemed to work well to form a sort of hedge. I chose Scarlet O' Hara because they have sturdy stems and require no staking at all. The flowers last for a very long time and stand up well to heavy rains. They are a single though, so that may be out of the question for you if you are looking forward to the fuller flowers of SB. I have another area of the garden where I have "hedges" of peonies. I also spaced them about 3' apart. I do have SB in those borders and others that require support and cleanup to keep the area looking neat after rains. Although the full blooms are more work, they really are beautiful. I'm sure if SB is what you want you will find that the extra work will be well worth it. I would go with 3' spacing for a "hedge" look.
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If you purchase a Sarah with buds on it and want to see blooms this year you'll probably want to leave it in the pot until after the blooms are done. You can get away with putting a potted one in more shade than you'd plant it out in--actually preferable since it's probably been greenhouse grown and could use the hardening off. Make sure the pot is shaded so the roots don't overheat, don't overwater and it'll be good. Once it's done flowering you can plant it any time you like, just like any other potted perennial it'll need some babying until it's established. Check to see how deep the top of the roots are before you put it in the ground, you'll want it to be around 2" deep in your zone 5b, no deeper. That's where the eyes will form later in the fall, on the crown of the root, and if they're too deep it can inhibit blooming. Everyone has their preferences with planting, either bareroot or potted. I have 2 sources that I'll plant bareroot in the spring but mostly prefer fall from growers who dig/divide/ship in a fairly tight period. Peony roots can survive a ton of abuse though, saw a post on the Southern Peony blog where she found a box from a few years before that she misplaced with roots in it--planted them and they grew!
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scarlett6
15 years ago
The SB is just gorgeous. Thanks for posting the picture.

I live just outside of Dallas, in Carrollton and have 3 types of Peonies (pink, white and red) in bloom now. I have no idea what the names are-they are just out of those packages that you can buy in places like Lowes or Home Depot.

I would love to have more, lots more...I was a a little surprised though at how expensive they are buying from growers. Are they all this expensive?
cathie
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
15 years ago
Growing peonies for sale is expensive because they are propagated by division. You can only get so many divisions from so many plants. With limited production and high labor cost per plant, you should not expect cheap plants. Al
gnabonnand
Original Author
15 years ago
Scarlett, we are practically neighbors. I'm on that side of Dallas too.
You must have a very green thumb, or you must be very patient. I was never able to grow the little peony "roots" from Lowes / Home Depot / Wal-Mart. They all died or were so weak, I'd be in a nursing home before they amounted to anything.
This Sarah Bernhardt peony was a really large plant when I planted it, and when I'm ready for another, I will shell out the big bucks to get another nice, large one from a quality garden center.

Al, I agree, it must be very expensive to propagate peonies, then grow them to a descent size before selling.

Randy
olgaflowers
15 years ago
Randy,
I saw some Peonies at North haven Gardens
in huge pots around 36.00 pricey I know,
just trying to help :)
Olga,
gnabonnand
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh, Geez, Olga ... thanks for the "help" !
Tempting an addict with what he's hooked on :-)
And Northaven Gardens is my favorite garden center, they have the great varieties that are sometimes hard to find elsewhere.
Thanks for the info!

Randy

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'Sarah Bernhardt' peony

Comments (7)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9

gnabonnand
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'Sarah Bernhardt' peony

Comments (7)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9

gnabonnandOriginal Author

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scarlett6

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9

gnabonnandOriginal Author

olgaflowers

gnabonnandOriginal Author

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gnabonnand
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