Take a closer look at your nameless peonies - some of them may be French aristocrats
You will probably be surprised to learn that literally until the middle of the last century in our country all peonies were from France. Of course, we remember grandmother's village front gardens, where several nameless bushes usually grew: a couple of early red, a few pink and always white. Naturally, no one knew the names of the varieties, and, in fact, did not even think about it. Delenki of peonies were purchased in the markets and exchanged from neighbors and differed only in color.
Blooming peonies. Photo by the author
But I must especially say that among the grassy peonies there are no absolutely outbred peonies, without a clan and without a tribe. Any of them necessarily belongs to some sort, just over the years, wandering from front garden to front garden, he lost his name, like impoverished nobles who have lost their origin.
Meanwhile, all these our grandmother's nameless bushes are the heirs of those peonies that were bred in France more than 100 years ago, where since the 19th century there has been a center for the selection of these plants. Such originators as Calo, Cruz, Lemoine, Desser, Millet, Doria, Rivoir worked there. France then, in fact, became the second homeland of the peony, which came to Europe from China.
Varieties with pink flowers
Among the old French varieties, there are many varieties with pink flowers. And the most famous of these is, of course, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, a strain bred by Lemoine in 1906 and named after an outstanding French dramatic actress.
Unsurpassed ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ (‘Sarah Bernhardt’). Photo by the author
Talking about the beauty and exceptional economic qualities of this variety has already become common. And indeed: of fantastic beauty, the densely doubled caps of flowers of some amazing pink-lilac shade of blackcurrant sorbet of a perfect pink shape. Harmonious bush and abundant flowering make this variety the most famous and desirable in our gardens. Among its advantages are strong stems, rare vitality, delicate aroma.
Dense double caps of flowers of an amazing pink-lilac shade. ‘Sarah Bernhardt’. Photo by the author
There are many more masterpieces in the line of French pink peonies. This is a pink-lilac blooming profusely ‘Albert Crousse’ (‘Albert Kruss’, 1893); similar to him, only with silvery tips of the petals, and still popular multiple winner of exhibitions in the nomination "People's Choice Award" ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ (‘Monsieur Jules Elie’, 1888).
Pink-lilac blooming ‘Albert Crousse’ (‘Albert Crousse’). Photo by the author
Or fragrant 'Alice Harding' ('Alice Harding', 1922) with dark pink outer petals and a creamy white crown, as well as light pink 'Belle Douaisienne' ('Belle Doisier', 1861) and 'Madelon '(' Madelon ', 1922) with light pink outer petals, creamy pink crown and red marks.
Fragrant 'Alice Harding'. Photo from paeo.de
Collectors can still find the extremely rare now pink ‘Eugenie Verdier’ (‘Eugenie Verdier’, 1864) - crown, with pink outer petals and a light pink center of narrow petals, with yellow saturation inside.
Courtly Frenchmen loved to devote their creations to ladies, among the French peonies there are many. These are pink varieties of different shades:
- ‘Madame Boulanger’ (‘Madame Boulanger’, 1886) is a rosy variety with silvery flesh-edged petals;
- ‘Madame Calot’ (‘Madame Calot’, 1856) is a hemispherical peony with pink lower petals and cream central ones;
- ‘Madame Marine’ (‘Madame Marine’, 1881) a rare salmon pink shade;
- ‘Madame Reignoux’ (‘Madame Renue’, 1909) with pink-red flowers.
‘Madame Calot’ (‘Madame Calot’) is a hemispherical peony.
Of the first peonies obtained in France in the middle of the nineteenth century, the crown ‘Philomele’ (‘Philomel’, 1861) is not uncommon. It is a cultivar with lilac-pink outer petals, a creamy crown, and a lilac-pink center, sometimes with red markings. Don't you recognize? After all, this is a description of a peony, which can very often be found in our gardens, without realizing that this is a rare historical variety, and we take it for an ordinary one!
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Milk-flowered peony, or scientifically lactiflora (Paeonia lactiflora), belongs to herbaceous flowering perennials of the Peony family. In the common people, this specific wild-growing plant is more often called the Chinese peony, since it was from it that many varieties and hybrids were bred, the first of which were brought to Europe from China back in the 18th century.
