My Peonies and My Colchicums

September 26th, 2002 by Kathy Purdy · No Comments

I bought my peonies at Reath’s. They definitely are not the cheapest, but I am hoping their quality will be worth the price. A long time ago I fell in love with a photo of the herbaceous peony ‘Bev’ (Fine Gardening May ‘91) and Reath’s is one of the few places that carry it. And of course, once I got the catalog there were lots of other peonies to fall in love with. The other peony I am getting is called Rozella. Rozella is a hybrid of David Reath, who focused on breeding peonies with strong stems that won’t flop over.

There are hem[erocallis] nuts, hosta fanatics and iris devotees. I have decided to focus my horticultural collector’s instincts on the lowly colchicum. Colchicums are bulbous plants whose leaves emerge in spring and die back in summer. Then they bloom in pretty shades of purply-pink or white in the autumn, shades that go very well with the asters blooming at the same time. The catch is that spring foliage. It is far huger than the crocus-to-species-tulip-sized blossoms would lead you to believe, and as it becomes lax and flops over it can easily suffocate a less robust neighbor. So siting is important. I probably never would have started my collection if there hadn’t already been colchicums growing here when we moved in, but now I love walking around in autumn and discovering them all over again.

As for lilacs, I already sent the book back. You’ll have to get it out yourself

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Categories: Colchicums · Plant info · Peonies

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About Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. USDA Hardiness Zone:4 AHS Heat Zone: 3Location: rural; Southern Tier of NYGeographic type: foothills of Appalachian MountainsSoil Type: acid clay Experience level: intermediate Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY native plants, gardening with/for children

Today's Gardening Quote

Gardening may be the most exasperating occupation under the sun, but it gives as much as it gets--no more no less. Life in a garden is one long war with the powers of Evil, but the victory is worth winning. Maddening catastrophes are followed by spectacular triumphs. One minute you are flat on your face, and the next you are soaring on the wings of the morning.

Reginald Arkell

Cold Climate Gardening

Hardy plants for hardy souls