Since I've always planted iris and peonies in sunny places, I would have to say yes--good spot also for roses. They can all take some passing shade as long as they get a good dose of sun at some point--about 6 hours minimum (out of a 12-hour day). My guess is that like roses, iris and peonies in less sun might not bloom as strongly and steadily as those same plants in 6-10 hours of sunlight each day. But maybe some gardeners do plant iris and peonies in the shade and do fine. I never met them myself. Here's the best way to check. Go and look at the selected spot around 8 or 9 in the morning. How much sun does it get? Check again around 12 or 1 o'clock. Note how much sun that spot gets. Check again around 4 o'clock--record how much sun that spot gets. That should give you a rough idea how many hours of sun that spot may get--though to be more exact, you would have to check in the springtime, mid-summer, and late summer or fall (don't worry about winter). If you don't have enough time to try all those, then keep in mind that the sun casts LOOOONG shadows (to the north) in springtime and very little in mid-summer. For example, my neighbor's tall oak tree across the alley on the south side of my yard shades my back garden for several hours mid-day in the spring time, but as summer advances, that shadow almost completely disappears. It returns as autumn returns. Hope that helps. Kate

Irish Rose Grower: Since you wish to know all about the world of Peonies, my first suggestion is to obtain a copy of "Peonies" by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall. Obviously, you can find copies at your public library or through their inter-library loan system or you can purchase the book through various new or used book dealers. Two excellent sources of used/new books are http://www.abe.com or http://www.alibris.com These two sources, which are links to a very wide array of used and new booksellers, which often offer books in new, near new, fine, very good, etc. conditions. With regard to the book itself, "Peonies" provides an excellent history, overview, and an good discussion of an extremely wide variety of different types of peonies with various lists - including those suitable for cut flowers, fragrance, etc. Information from Amazon.com about this book: "Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall's Peonies is a ravishing book--the sort of book that you covet from the moment you see it--but it isn't just lovely to look at, it is also a wonderful read. It tells the long and fascinating history of this most beautiful of flowers, tracing its origins in the wild to its cultivation in the Imperial gardens of China and Japan and its journey to the West. The characters encountered along the way include an empress who arranged for the planting of many thousands of tree peonies, yet murdered her baby daughter and in her 70s took two brothers half her age as lovers, and a French missionary who spent most of his life in China collecting over 1,500 species of peony, most of which were sent back to France. As befits its subject, the book is lavishly illustrated with paintings and photographs that are both informative and appealing. But this is not just a wonderful story well told. It is also a serious work of reference giving comprehensive information on peony varieties, how to grow them, where to find them, and where to see them. It's written with the international reader in mind, so references include information relevant to the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand as well as Great Britain and Europe. --Stephanie Donaldson" An Amazon.com customer gives the following review of this book: "If you are a peony lover, you will treasure this book. Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall not only knows her peonies and traces their fascinating history through the imperial courts of China and Japan, but she interweaves this with a history of how peonies have been used in paintings and porcelain. The beautiful pictures included not only show the various peony cultivars, but show the peony as it is used in Asian porcelains, paintings and European paintings. This book and its photographs are so lovely, that I expected to pay much more for it. It's a bargain, if you are a peony lover. Al Rogers "Peonies" is a bit more explicit about growing and cultivation, but this book compliments his, because of the romance it brings to the peony. It is also practical, listing the cultivars, showing many pictures, and recommending the more successful cultivars. If you love peonies and want to know more about their place in history, I heartily recommend Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall's "Peonies." " Once in a while you may also find this book at either at overstock or http:www.bookcloseouts.com or http://www.daedalusbooks.com With regard to the selection of additional peonies, you might try the following source, which is the direct link to the Paeonia lactiflora 'Duchesse de Nemours' http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=Q260 If you scroll down a bit, you'll find their listing of sources and then click on it for further information. The next listing will link you to further sources, most of which will be web sites which will lead you to additional sources and price comparisons. Obviously, if you book mark the link below, you'll be able to search all sources of plant material at the extraordinary Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, MO. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Alpha.asp Additionally, if you click on "Search", you'll be taken to their unique search engine - the best that I've seen to date. FYI - when I was living in central Illinois, I visited this absolutely delightful and extraordinary garden quite frequently. Now that I am living in northwestern Michigan, there is nothing that I have seen in this neck of the woods to compare, but then, I haven't yet explore all of the garden areas in this state. The Meijer gardens in Grand Rapids is young and doesn't compare to the extent and maturity of the Missouri Botanical Garden, but they are headed in a good direction. As for excellent, but not necessarily cheap, sources of Peonies, I placed my first order with A & D Nursery: http://www.adpeonies.com/ and was greatly impressed with the quality of their rootstock. One of the peonies that I ordered was "Chestine Gowdy", whose roots were nearly 8 inches long. By linking to the web site listed above and scrolling down a bit, you'll find some information on this peony as well as a link to "her" unique photograph. I was so impressed by "her" unique coloration, fragrance, etc. that I made her the center piece between two red peonies: "PHILIPPE RIVOIRE" that I obtained from them as well. Both of "his" roots were extensive as well. The fourth peony that I purchased from them was "FLORENCE NICHOLLS", which was going to be the "center piece" in my original garden design. Now that I've changed the planting plan of "Florence", I will have to place an order for a second one to give some "balance" to my patio garden area. For an added addition to my garden, I've decided to plant two Phlox paniculata 'Mount Fuji', which is planted slightly in back of and just between "Chestine Gowdy" and each of the "PHILIPPE RIVOIRE"'s. Here's the link to some information at the Missouri Botanical Garden with regard to this Phlox. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=E600 Another peony that I may eventually add to my garden is the known as the "Memorial Day" Peony. It's official name is Paeonia officinalis 'Rubra Plena' My mother had this peony in her garden for decades and it usually bloomed close or around Memorial Day (central Illinois). She treasured it and often used it as a cut flower. Now my daughter, Heather, has this plant in her garden and thus a tradition lives on. You will find more information on the "Memorial Day" Peony at this link: http://www.hirts.com/cgi-local/catalog.cgi?cat=1,41,&item=3079 So now you have additional sources of information with regard to peonies and other plants. In addition to the sources mentioned above, I would also recommend the reading of two - still - excellent books: "Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden" by Eleanor Perenyi and "The Fragrant Year" by Helen van Pelt Wilson and Leonie Bell. Both are out of print - I believe - but should be available at or through your public library and/or through the two sources of used books listed above. They are books to be treasured!!!! I do hope that you and others will find this discussion and sources of information more than useful in your gardening endeavors. Bill

Natasha, haven't yet used the Tumax to create a trellis. Ran across these 20 years ago, found the idea intriguing & picked up a kit for a few dollars. Would think the structural strength would relate to the diameter gauge of the wire selected & the number of anchors used as support. Expect one of the multi-strand twisted or braided cable wires - in place of the galvanized wire roll that comes with the kit - would be much stronger & bear the weight of a mature rose. Since the wire is threaded through the loops that project from the anchors, would think how closely those anchors are spaced also figures into a weight capacity calculation. The tensile strength of the wire plus the number of anchors used along the line should yield a rule of thumb where the weight is distributed evenly along the span. Tumax may have this info with their professional kit instructions on their site - you might noodle around there to find it - or just contact them & ask for their load weight formula. Have used the anchors alone, without wires, as free form supports on a stone facade. Install them on the wall where they're needed as the rose grows & loosely figure eight tie the canes to the anchor eyelet. The anchors are hidden behind the plant. Gives a pleasant natural effect to my eye, as if the rose is doing it all by itself. (Look Ma, no hands!) To allow sufficient space between the wall & the plant, often add another ring or length of rubbery plastic chain onto the eyelet & tie to that as the canes thicken, allowing me to use those spongy noodle ties or green velcro loops. Lenarufus, Nahema is a beauty with toe-curling fragrance. Your wall coloring sets her off to perfection. New here this year as a gallon own root, she's a real charmer. Good growing to all! Sue

Peonies bloom at different times. There is a definite order by type and cultivar which I cannot recall at the moment - tree, intersectional (Itoh), species, and early, mid and late season herbaceous. You might want to check with your favorite peony nursery. It would definitely be worth dealing with a specialty nursery. They know so much more, and have so much wider a range of cultivars. Here in California the bloom ranges from mid April to early June, and they have just finished up. Many, possibly most, perennials are once bloomers, though peonies have an especially short season IMO. I still find them worth growing, and happy plants can live for decades, even up to 100 years.