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Peony - Tree - Yoshino gawa
This has been variously translated but probably means 'The Emperor Flower'. They flower from late April to early May but the flowering season does vary from year to year. The Chinese refer to the tree peony as 'Moutan'. Fortunately for us, tree peonies are now slightly more available. While the tree peony originated in China, it had found its way to Japan by the 8th Century AD. A mature plant can have in excess of a hundred flowers and these can be 10" or more across! The flowers range in color from maroon, crimson, scarlet, various shades of pink, to pure white. Growing only 4-5' tall, these exceptional Tree Peonies are sub-zero hardy and bloom for a lifetime. There are also tree peonies with yellow or purple flowers. Japanese tree peonies tend to have less double flowers than their Chinese peers, and the flowers are more open and delicate. Every garden needs a tree peony. There are very few plants that can compete with a tree peony in full bloom. We're not sure what the penalty was for infringing this law, but it can't have been very pleasant. The Tree Peony Yoshino gawa, 'Paeonia', produces enormous bright pale pink of rare beauty. There was a time, many years ago in ancient China, when the only person who could own a tree peony was the Emperor himself. ... more info
Geranium - Southcombe Double There are only a few double-geraniums in cultivation and don't look like a Geranium at first glance. Geraniums are grown in almost any soil as long as it is not wet. Southcombe Double blooms almost non-stop throughout the summer, into fall. This plant would look wonderful in a pot on a sun-drenched porch and is also deer resistant. The Geranium Southcombe Double, 'Geranium oxonianum', displays fully double, pure pink blooms that sit atop bright green stems. They are perfect in the perennial border and work well as a ground cover too. They do best in sun, but will tolerate some degree of shade. For the most part, cranesbill are long-lived and do not require a lot of care. |
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