Sub-tropical peonies

This is exciting news for peony lovers!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-22/peonies-bloom-in-subtropics-in-trial-mimicking-cold-winters/11087462

PhD research into growing these beautiful plants in subtropical conditions. The article explains some of the process required, so if your winter isn’t cold enough here’s what to do

I have always loved peonies! I received a bouquet of the flowers on my First Holy Communion Day — I was seven years old! Never had too much luck growing them — in Maplewood, the huge buds on my plants would bloom and then a rain storm would quickly follow. 

My strange success story this year is with my 6 year old clamatis— never produced more than a few flowers! 

2019 — flowers and buds all over!

My Itoh Peony, a hybrid between herbaceous peonies and tree peonies just opened today. Pictures to follow.

Mine had drooped from last night's rain, but then perked up this afternoon (before it rained again).

very pretty!

These are the Itoh Peonies, they are hybrids. A cross between @sprout's herbaceous Peonies and Tree Peonies.

The heavy rains damaged both my hybrids and my herbaceous but this was before the 2 storms. The Itohs had between them about 25 blooms at the start of the storms.

About 50 flowers on the herbaceous not in the photos.