Herbaceous peonies are considered easy and tough, but my first attempt at growing them failed miserably. A friend gave me some starts as a thank you gift many years ago. They survived for many years, but did not thrive. They weren’t in full sun and I think that caused their ultimate demise.

Two years ago, I decided to try again. I ordered a half dozen hybrids from Gilbert H. Wild and planted them in the memory garden. I wasn’t sure what to expect. But despite competing with the huge Douglas fir tree for water and nutrients, the peonies have done well and two of them actually bloomed this year.

The flowers are a little too double for me, but they are showy and I like peony leaves as much as the flowers. They are very different, so they stand out all the time, but especially in the autumn when they color up beautifully before they drop.

My plans for these plants are to keep feeding them and watering them as much as I can. I’m anxious for the other cultivars to bloom–I think there are a few single-flowered types, which I really love.