Ok, so these flowers bloomed in June.
It’s now September.
Nothing like a timely post!
Truth is, for so many of us, the pandemic means a lot more to balance.
A challenge I have risen to with complete equanimity, poise and zero frustration about how overwhelming life can feel right now.
Yeah. Right.
Long story short, in the bits of time I did scrape together this June, I focused on preparing our July catalog release and -at long last - painting our farm!
Here’s how Lyndaker Farms looks now!
For those of you who’ve visited, it’s a big change, right?
We’re not done yet, This fall, the roof over my workshop is scheduled to be replaced.
And next year, we hope to start restoring the gardens around the buildings. Some we’ve never done; those we had done got pretty beat up during the painting job!
Hence why June flowers end up in a September post.
On the bright side, as we watch our gardens start to fade toward winter, and as we reckon with those complicated “end-of-the growing-season” feelings, maybe these pics can provide a final shot of gardening joy.
I’ll keep it short today. After all, we’re now actively digging, dividing and shipping all those customer orders!
In the meantime, enjoy this last glimpse at peony season here on the farm!
A Word on this Virtual Tour
For the reasons listed above, I wasn’t able to take nearly as many pictures for this tour as I had for the previous 2.\I missed out on many of my favorite Lactifloras and - particularly - the gorgeous Itohs. Advance apologies for showing only a limited slice of the true beauty we had here this year!
The Lactifloras
Bouquets for Days
As much as I love herbaceous hybrids and those gorgeous trees peonies, there’s something about the long-loved lactiflora types that just sends me into a cutting frenzy every time…..
Bowl of Beauty
Though I haven’t checked to be sure, I’d bet money that this is our #1 selling peony.
It’s not hard to see why it sells out so quickly. . As per the first pic below, the blooms go through beautiful color transitions. Plus it’s heat tolerant (a fantastic quality for a late-blooming variety), and has a great plant habit requiring little to no support.
Do Tell
Just look at those flames of color! I’ve noticed that in person visitors almost always pick out “Do Tell” as a favorite. Possibly it’s the lovely combination of colors combined with how well the flowers are carried on the plant. So classy and striking.
Felix Supreme
When Felix Supreme was in bloom this year, I was feeling super stressed. Visiting my Felix Supreme patch became my coping mechanism. Honestly, I must have visited these plants at least 2-3 times daily.
I can’t overstate the beauty of the heirloom variety
It has huge, perfectly formed double blooms with a lovely fragrance. And you can see the magenta-red painted across the fields like a splash of pure happiness. Can’t get enough
Liubimaja
Liubimaja is like my little end-of-peony-season treat.
When all the late varieties are waning, Liubimaja perfectly formed blossoms still shine.
Inevitably we have a heat wave during Liubimaja’s bloom period and I’m consistently impressed with how well the petals hold up to the 90+ degree temps.
Primevere
A time tested classic. Requires strong support in the landscape but worth it for the fragrance alone. Plus look at the combination of pastel colors. There’s a reason Primevere was introduced in 1907 yet is still cherished in gardens today!
Serebrenyi Velvet
Oh my goodness, Serebrenyi Velvet blew me away this year.
I can’t seem to capture it well in pictures but think large, blousy flowers grown in clumps of 3-5. I don’t currently have this one in my personal garden but will be changing that this year. It’s perfection.
Serebro
This variety is so different from our other peonies. The plant has these deep green, shiny leaves that establish a mounding habit. The large lilac pink flowers sit just above the leaves. The overall effect is striking. Another plant I’ll be adding to my personal garden this year. It’s perfect for the front of a border.
The Fawn
Arguably one of my favorite pinks. The Fawn blooms late season with flowers so perfectly formed they appear to be made of wax. If you look at the pictures closely, you’ll notice a fawn-like spotting on the petals. The Fawn looks fantastic in bouquets when paired with Bowl of Beauty.
The Nameless
We’ve been growing peonies for long enough to end up with a small collection of un-named varieties.
For some this is because we may have lost a tag or had it destroyed by weather.
But for the below varieties it’s because whatever was sent to us appears not true to name.
Even without names, I think you’ll find them as stunning as we do!
Not Princess Juliana
So “Princess Juliana” is one of those peonies I’ve seen on Russian websites and really, really want to own.
I was thrilled when I found a source for PJ and immediately ordered some. However, as these peonies have matured, I’ve come to believe that, though these peonies are similar to PJ, they are probably not the real deal.
But aren’t they gorgeous? I hope to offer them for sale at some point but - at the moment - we are finding this plant difficult to grow and not vigorous. I will be moving them this year to try them in a new location. If they do well there, then they may become part of our catalog at some point.
“Pink Ben”
I ordered “Big Ben” a beautiful red double. What a got was a HUGE, deep pink double, I’ve nicknamed “Pink Ben.”
Given it’s a pink lactiflora, there’s probably no chance of ever figuring out this variety’s name but I can’t imagine a better cut flower. Huge, great form, amazing fragrance.
Oh, the Itohs!!!
I all but missed the itoh window this year. The bulk of our itoh’s flowered at the end of the season, right as we were releasing our catalog and starting the painting job.
The net result -tragically few Itohs to showcase this year!
Lollipop
This is the one Itoh I photographed like crazy. Lollipop was so outstanding this yea. I’ve always liked the unusual striping and coloration on Lollipop. But this year, the flower form was just as striking too.
The Other Itohs
