Peonies: My peonies are breaking dormancy!, 1 by poinget

poinget wrote:
Oh your iris row is beautiful, kathy! I'm developing mine. The house I now live in came with irises (my first) and seeing how pretty they are and that the deer leave them alone as you say, I've started adding to them. Though this year, aphids are devastating them. It must be the early heat? Once I started noticing them, I've been going out twice a week and smushing them.

Pam, your Falling Down Wall is breathtaking with all its textures (your first pic up there - I'm way behind in replying). I love it! What plants are involved in producing the scene? Or did you already write it?

Now that I know what a platycodon looks like, I'm seeing them everywhere :)

1st pic is a surprise. (Excuse the bad photo!) This is apparently a peony and I didn't plant it!
I didn't see this growing here last year and yet it has a few stalks. So strange. I suppose I inadvertently uncovered it when I moved things around in that bed. I hope it buds so I can see what it is. Regardless, I'll move it in the fall; it's flush against the oak tree.

2nd is Scrumdidlyumptious. It's an itoh. It's a big one! Yet, there are no buds on it. I assume that is normal for an itoh. I bought a Bartzella too, as big, but I arrested its growth when my DH moved it. DH said it's a plant, why would it care if it's moved? and he manhandled that root like it had no feelings lol. Now, it's small and sulking and has been for a month now.

3rd is Morning Kiss. It was the first up and unfurled. It has many buds and all of them, every millimetre, is covered by ant. I can't wait to see it bloom. The buds are still tiny.

4th is a bad pic of Festiva Maxima. According to my records, I should have four peonies in this bed, but there are five growing in it - boggle - so I'll have to wait till the plants form flowers to confirm what went where. Anyhow, this plant is funny in that I have to remove a leaf or part of a leaf every week because it gets slimy and wilts or becomes brown and dies. Any ideas? The rest of the plant looks great, but if I keep having to remove little bits of it at a time, it won't have leaves by July.

5th should be Therese. I just had to remove a little bit of brown leaf. I hope that has nothing to do with what is happening with FM. FM was bought at a nursery in a small pot (if that matters). Otherwise, it is looking gorgeous.