 |
| Nichols Arboretum Historical Peony Garden - 2010 |
Just to give some perspective, out of the 891 spots in the garden, which was designed by A. Tealdi in the 1920s, 650 are currently occupied by peony plants. The garden of peonies was a gift from Dr. W. L. Upjohn of Upjohn Pharmaceuticals in Kalamazoo, MI early in the 20th century.
Some of the peonies haven't been identified, as the garden went through decades of neglect. Although most of the peonies did fine in spite of it all, some did not. The original donations of peonies came from breeders throughout the world, the most recent bred and introduced from 1926-1950. In the passage of time, a small percentage of plants have lost their identities. Or, more accurately, the peonies know who they are but are keeping mum. Even the experts are flummoxed over which is what.
'Lois Kelsey' is a lactiflora with an unusual look. Happily I've found it and planted it in my garden.
At the right in the background of the photo above, you'll see a woman holding a little white dog while a man snaps a photo. While the woman isn't me, it certainly makes me realize I'm not the only one who is passionate about dogs and peonies!
Very Cool! Sounds like a fun trip to take. When I was little, I remember driving on a road in Schvl/ Merrivl area that had a peony farm on their property. I loved driving by there in the spring and smelling the glorious flowers in spring. There was also a big collector in Munster. That was also a beautiful sight in spring!
ReplyDelete