Unveiling the Secrets of Peony Perfection: Lessons from 1908
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
June 8, 1908
On this day, dear readers, a most intriguing review of the Peterson Nursery in Chicago graced the pages of horticultural discourse, offering a tantalizing glimpse into their annual peony week.
One can only imagine the floral spectacle that unfolded before the eyes of those fortunate enough to witness it.
Allow me to paint a picture for you, my fellow gardeners, of this botanical extravaganza.
About 8,000 [peonies were] cut on June 8.
Can you fathom such abundance?
A veritable sea of blooms, each one a testament to nature's artistry and the nurseryman's skill.
The next day there was a grand display of all the fine kinds for which Wm. Peterson is justly famed.
One can almost smell the heady fragrance wafting through the air, a perfume fit for the most discerning of noses.
But let us delve deeper into the floral treasures on offer, shall we?
That beautiful variety, Golden Harvest, is well known as one of the most constant and excellent varieties and an English firm [bred] Duchess of Somerset, [which is] supposed to be an improvement on it.
Ah, the pursuit of perfection! How it drives us to ever greater heights in our horticultural endeavors.
Yet, as with all things of beauty, such pursuits come at a cost.
Trials cost a lot of money and trouble, but... it eventually pays [as] is evident by the class of orders Mr. Peterson is now receiving.
Indeed, dear readers, the fruits of Mr. Peterson's labors are evident in the caliber of his clientele.
But what of the pièce de résistance, you ask?
Perhaps the finest sight of all the varieties at the time of our call was... the good old Festiva Maxima, (with its snowy white flowers with red flecks) consisting of 500 fine five-year-old plants, every one covered with flowers.
For sereral days [before our visit] about 1,500 flowers per day had been cut from this lot of plants, but they were still very fine.
Imagine, if you will, a sea of pristine white, each blossom adorned with the most delicate crimson flecks, as if nature herself had taken up a paintbrush to add the finishing touches. A sight to behold, indeed!
Another grand thing from landscape or border point of view is Gloria. The flowers are pink and very beautiful, but they do not all come double.
Ah, but variety is the spice of life, is it not?
Even in our pursuit of perfection, we must appreciate the charming idiosyncrasies that make each bloom unique.
Now, my dear gardeners, let us delve into the rich tapestry of peony lore.
These beloved flowers, known as sho-yu or "most beautiful" in their native China, have captured hearts the world over.
From the sturdy tree peonies with their dinner-plate-sized blossoms to the herbaceous varieties that grace our borders with their annual return, peonies offer a palette of possibilities for every garden.
Did you know that the largest peony cut flower operation resides in Holland, producing a staggering 50 million stems annually?
The belle of this floral ball is none other than "Sarah Bernhardt," accounting for 20 million of those stems. This ruffly pink beauty, with its emerald green foliage, was the brainchild of French plant breeder Victor Lemoine, who unveiled it in 1906 as a tribute to the famed French stage actress.
For those of you eager to cultivate your own peony paradise, heed these words of wisdom: plant them in full sun and, most crucially, plant them high. A deeply buried crown will stubbornly refuse to flower, leaving you bereft of blooms.
And for the more adventurous among you, why not explore the culinary potential of these exquisite flowers?
Imagine the delight on your guests' faces as you present a salad adorned with peony petals, or a simple sheet cake elevated to new heights with crystallized floral confections.
The possibilities are as endless as they are delicious!
