Garden Photo of the Day

Jewel’s Peony Collection

Sharing a favorite flower

By GPOD Contributor
close up of light pink herbaceous peony

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!

close up of light yellow peonies
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.

close up of light pink herbaceous peony
Look at the size of this herbaceous peony bloom!

close up of bright red anemone form peony
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.

close up of bright red peony
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.

close up of bright pink peony with yellow center
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.

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

 

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Comments

  1. gardendevas 06/19/2023

    Such lovely peonies! They look especially nice against the hedge as a background. They are a particular favorite of mine, too. I crave an intersectional!

  2. annek 06/19/2023

    Your peonies are gorgeous. The colors, the size….lovely!

  3. User avater
    simplesue 06/19/2023

    Ohh that gorgeous pale pink peony- my favorite color! I like the peony border along the hedge, nice! I've seen Peony’s Envy online, how nice to meet her, a very inspiring website too!

  4. btucker9675 06/19/2023

    So beautiful! I'm trying to grow them here in the Charlotte area and it's a learning experience! I had many in my garden in Franklin Lakes, NJ, and one of my favorite things was walking the garden every evening in the spring, looking for the peonies starting to poke up through the soil. Never failed to make me happy. Thank you for sharing yours.

  5. Boasnake59_ 06/19/2023

    I so love peonies, this is my 3rd and I almost gave up cause no previous blooms. So glad I didn’t any yours are beautiful

  6. User avater
    cynthia2020 06/21/2023

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful peonies. I don't have any right now and miss seeing them and smelling them!

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