Product Description

A richly illustrated guide to growing a most satisfying perennial, the peony.

The dazzling peony with its generous blooms is revered and treasured in North America as it has been for centuries in its country of origin, China. Peonies is a comprehensive guide to selecting and growing the best species and hybrids for every region and garden condition.

In an easy-to-use format, this informative and practical reference book has dozens of color photographs and features chapters on:

- Genus Paeonia and the modern hybrids
- Ornamental and herbaceous peonies
- Tree peonies, the "king of flowers"
- Cultivation and propagation techniques
- Fertilizers, preferred soil composition, watering and over-wintering
- Remedies for pests, diseases and disorders
- Landscaping recommendations with peonies
- Displaying peonies indoors
- The origin and history of peonies.

There is also a valuable appendix of selected varieties and a listing of associations and suppliers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #187397 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Review
Delicious tidbits abound ... packed with historical and scientific detail.... If you're into peonies, this is the book for you. (Mary Jane Smetanka Star Tribune (Minneapolis) 20070530)

Not only [a] useful reference guide but also looks gorgeous on a coffee table book. (Margot Austin Style at Home 200706)

Easy-to-use format and practical advice. (Rachael Green American Reference Books Annual 2007)

144 pages of pure delight. You will not put this one down. (Ian Munt The Sudbury Star 20070710)

A comprehensive overview of the peony. (Brenda Ruzycki Edmonton Sun 20070715)

Old-fashioned, romantic, and winter-hardy, peonies get the full treatment here with enticing photos and accessible cultural advice. (Eboni A. Francis Library Journal 200712)

An informative and interesting guide on planting, growing and caring for peonies... delves into the history and the botany. (Jessica Damiano Melville Newsday 200609)

Excellent overview... geared to a North American audience, paying full mind to appropriate planting zones... enticing photographs... a lovely offering. (Margaret Heilbrun Library Journal 20061118)

For gardeners who want to learn how to choose the best peony varieties and how to care for them. (Michigan Gardener 20061208)

A comprehensive overview... photographs provide a guide for gardeners. (Suzanne Hively Cleveland Plain Dealer )

A fairly good introduction for the uninitiated, this book clears up questions about peony species, care, propagation and problems. (Mary Fran McQuade Beach Metro Community News )

Peonies are surely among the most glorious of flowers... The book is superbly illustrated. (Ken Smith London Free Press )

Another worthy addition to any gardener's library ... Lavishly illustrated and comprehensive. (Steve Whysall Vancouver Sun )

About the Author
Pamela McGeorge is the author of three previous titles for Firefly Books, for which Russell McGeorge was the photographer: Carnations and Pinks, Lilies and Irises.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Extravagant language seems to be the hallmark of peony lovers. Since we first started to look at plants for their beauty, and not just for their healing properties, peonies have basked in our admiration. Words echo down the centuries, recording the impressions that peonies have made on those who have grown and loved them.

"We cherish them for the beauty and delight of their goodly flowers," wrote Englishman John Parkinson, herbalist to the king and apothecary of the time, in 1629.

"The most superb and commanding flower which the garden holds," wrote Alice Harding, doyenne of American peony growers, in 1917.

"The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty," wrote garden writer extraordinaire, Henry Mitchell, in the later years of the 20th century.

No peony grower today would argue with these descriptions, and such is the magic of these flowers that they have seduced gardeners for more than 20 centuries-long before the massive and spectacular modern hybrids we grow today had appeared on the scene.

Peonies are divided into two main groups: herbaceous varieties, which die down in the fall; and tree peonies, which are deciduous but whose woody structure remains during winter -- like the skeleton of any deciduous tree. Both bear extravagantly sumptuous flowers.

In China, the peony has been consistently treasured down through the ages. In the West its fortunes have fluctuated. First praised for its beauty in 1629, it gradually fell victim to its success. The wealthy classes came to consider a plant that lasted the lifetime of a human being, and available to all, as vulgar and common. They wanted rare plants, things that were difficult to grow, and the peony for a time was known as a "poor man's flower." However, during the 19th century, as the number of named cultivars with spectacular flowers increased, the popularity of peonies rose. They became symbolic of the stylish Edwardian times before their decline set in once again.

As the 20th century unrolled, the impetus for developing new peonies moved from Europe to the United States. American breeders began producing a series of handsome cultivars, both herbaceous and tree varieties, and more growers entered the market. In the last years of the 20th century, as China increasingly opened its doors to the West, new species were discovered, and Chinese varieties have been exported, adding to the pool of available plants. That trend continues.

Today, herbaceous peonies increasingly are taking a large share of the cutflower market, and named plants are sought after across international borders. Westerners go to China in the peony season to view vast plantings of this flower that has featured for so long in Chinese art and history. In the 21st century the peony in the Western world has come close to attaining the status and desirability it has always held in Chinese society.

This book is for gardeners who have already been seduced by peonies and want to find out how to choose the best varieties and care for them in their own gardens. It looks at the origins of peonies and highlights the efforts of early hybridizers. Some of the plants they produced are still popular today, more than 150 years after their first appearance on the market.

The book also discusses intersectional hybrids, a cross between tree peonies and herbaceous varieties, and introduces readers to the species, of which few gardeners are aware. Long neglected in favor of their flamboyant descendants, the species produce simpler, sometimes more elegant flowers that appeal to modern gardeners. Both plants and seeds are more available now than ever before, especially in the United States.

A list of suppliers is provided on pages 139-142. Many publish their selections or catalogs on the Internet. As with most popular flowers, new peony cultivars are constantly appearing, and suppliers can provide the most up-to-date information on which cultivars or species are available in any given season.

Customer Reviews

Recommended for any gardening library.
Russell McGeorge's PEONIES is a bright, beautiful volume for gardeners who want to focus on the flower. History blends with practical gardening tips on how to grow a variety of peonies, from herbaceous varieties to tree peonies, along with details on how they can blend into an existing landscape or garden. Care directions cover everything from planting to dividing, moving, and troubleshooting common problems. Recommended for any gardening library.