Totally outstanding color, Karen!

It is absolutely beautiful, Karen! I think it's my favorite red and yours is growing so well! I think mine will bloom for the first time this spring, can't wait! Have Nova partly open now, it'll be my first for the year.

It's one of the finest red peonies. Helen Matthews I think has better stem. Your bush is a wonderful specimen and I hope mine soon looks the same.

It is beautiful! The form is very elegant looking and great color.

Thanks everyone! After 3 years, this is the best that it has bloomed for me.

Really really gorgeous! It looks like the stems are very strong. Adding it to my wish list.

Yes, the stems are strong and the flowers don't flop after rain.

Really nice looking red, looks like a rose.

Thanks for the look. It is quite pretty and showy. I actually have one on order for the fall, but this variety is one of the more expensive ones, unfortunately.

Karen, is there any other faults except slow increase? How it behaves in part shade?

I don't think it's a particularly slow increaser, Alex. Not incredibly vigorous but average. How much shade are you thinking? Mine has shade for a couple of hours in the afternoon, probably still considered full sun though because it has all morning and a few afternoon hours. I think it's one of the most amazing reds!

I agree with Liz - average increase and does well in partial shade. It prefers great drainage to do well; otherwise the foliage will show chlorosis. It prefers good soil over fertilizer. Mine gets shade from a deciduous tree when it leafs out but the peony is in mostly sun when tree is still dormant. Since you are in Canada, your spring is probably cooler than us down here which is good. This particular peony blooms as I have found with other Saunders peonies flowers cannot take the heat well. They last beautifully in cool weather possibly up to a week. But as temps rise above the upper 70's and humid the flowers are done by day 3.

I got enabled by your gorgeous Old Faithful bloom last year and got one last fall. There is a bud showing right now. I can compare the bloom of OF with that of AW and let you know if there is any difference. If it is very similar, perhaps you may not need to get AW.

beautiful!

Thanks Liz and Karen, I am ordering one this year. Salmon Dream I bought last year on Karen advice is showing 3 huge buds already, the earliest one for me, even earlier than Clair de Lune. I will probably have less flowers with OF this year as I can see only 4 at this point vs 7 last year. Petite Elegance is developing, but I guess it is one of more mid-term or late peonies. Not sure about buds at this stage.

I have not make my mind about space for AW and wanted your input. Thinking about Pink Derby for next year if I can get it in Canada.

By the way, Karen, did you try AW in the vase?

No, it was too pretty on the bush. Did not have the heart to cut them for vase last year. If we get a hot spell at about the time they open this year, I will definitely cut them for the vase or refrigerator storage.

Sounds wonderful, flowergirl! Mine is probably 2 weeks away from blooming. They are early this year if they do bloom in the next 2 weeks. I am so sorry about your TPs freeze damage. I got some damage but not as bad as yours. Some TPs attempted to send up new buds after the first round was damaged! I did not think that was possible but some actually did. I am glad that your Bartzella is showing a profusion of buds. I will check out WR Auten. Thanks for the recommendation.

flowergirl, I can't find WR Auten peony anywhere. Does WR stand for something?

May not happen but some times tree peonies will develop buds for autumn bloom when the flowers were completely damaged in the spring.

You've got me interested as well, flowergirl! I even tried looking up Auten the hybridizer and going through all of his named varieties, couldn't find a WR. What does it look like?

It may be Robert W. Auten which is a single red. RW rather than WR. Single red.

Well, this is a mystery. I've never tried to look it up. Maybe the fellow that gave it to me had it wrong too. Anyway it's not a single red, it's maroon double.