this post had me in tears when i read it earlier. I am that way about my quilting, absolutely NO desire. So I do know the feeling you get with your gardens. However, my gardens are a totally different story. I WANT to get out there sooooo badly. for the last hmm, six years, I have not been able to physically get the work done. I've finally been diagnosed with MS (18 mos ago), have had two surgeries on my neck do to herniated disks that compressed my spinal cord, and am this year FINALLY getting the energy up to get out there again. I'm starting with a clean slate, which is nice in many ways, but so daunting in other ways. I miss all my flowers so much though, that I will find a way, some way, to get them back again. I hope that you also find the desire to garden soon, the maintenance is enough to drive you bonkers when you don't want to be out there, but left alone, it's going to be horrendous to get motivated again. it takes no time for the weeds to notice lack of interest, and they take over like crazy then. wishing you all best of luck! sally

I seem to recall a description of a system, supposedly highly effective, that involved misting the cuttings at intervals around the clock. Maybe in a UF horticulture pub or web page? Plumbing for a misting system could be bought reasonably at Home Depot these days, though I suspect an irrigation timer that would cycle a dozen or more times daily might be more on the expensive side. I've had fair (10-25%) luck with vigorous, own-root varieties (like White Lady Banks) by planting several cuttings 2-3 nodes deep under each of several glass jars in a moist starting box--shaded in warm weather--and gradually removing the obviously dead ones. I also have a cutting rose (apparently a Versilia) grown from a stem my wife removed from a bouquet my daughter had received and stuck in some dirt. Cuttings taken from this plant, in turn, root under jars at rates near 25-50%.

Those 2 towering branches can be taken out which should force more energy into the lower branches, encouraging them to get taller. If you do that, I would suggest grafting them to herbaceous roots just so you don't end up wasting very good scion wood. Even branches with no buds can be forced into producing a bud to create a new plant. Grafting is easier than most people would think it is, and should be done best in the fall. If you cannot get a hold of any herbaceous peony roots for the grafting, then I would suggest simply taking those branches and forcing them to root. I've successfully rooted some Japanese Tree peony cuttings. I admit that they aren't that vigorous, but it works if you give them the right conditions. I think using a broad fork to aerate the soil a bit, adding a few lbs of gypsum & azomite, and a layer of compost should rejuvenate this peony for next year's growth. I believe this is the species you have right here as the flowers and foliage look identical to yours. This is a Yagumo japanese tree peony. Those top leaves are definitely staying on without any die back so conditioning the soil should help yours regain its health.

I've placed an order with them from reading this article. I ordered oxblood lilies, red spider lily, and some jonquils. I'm all for supporting Texas companies. Too many of them are way north, and their stuff struggles to survive down here in Texas.