Today we’re visiting with Jewel Barkley.

The pictures I have included are from my flower garden in Sea Girt, New Jersey. I have been growing peonies for about 10 years. Peonies are my passion, and after meeting Kathleen Gagan, the enthusiastic owner of Peony’s Envy in Bernardsville, New Jersey, I knew I had to try my hand at growing peonies! I originally had more peonies when I lived in Chatham, New Jersey, but have recently moved to Sea Girt, where I have a much smaller property and, therefore fewer peonies.

Thank you for allowing me to share pictures of my little peony garden, which still bring me great joy!

Intersectional peonies are hybrids between tree peonies, which have woody stems, and the herbaceous peonies that die back to the ground each winter. The hybrids have great vigor, and they combine the large flowers and wide color range of tree peonies with the longer-lasting blooms of herbaceous peonies.

Look at the size of this herbaceous peony bloom!

This intensely colored red herbaceous peony has a type of bloom called an anemone form, with normal petals around the edge and smaller petaloids filling the center of the bloom.

Note the discrete metal ring holding this red peony upright. Many peonies have such huge flowers that they need a little help standing up straight.

Now THAT is a bright flower! This is a semi-double form, with extra layers of petals, but there are still some visible yellow stamens in the center of the bloom.

This row of gorgeous peonies in front of a hedge looks perfect.

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