The finest pics I have seen of Mrs. FDR. I occasionally see some bushes of it in the cemetery, where of course there is minimal care given. Your pictures have just the right amount of light.

I want Mrs FDR to grow for me so bad! It came back this year but was damaged yet again by our last snow storm. Yours is gorgeous, Karen. And the last picture of Joker is beautiful, mine hasn't faded that way before petals fall. We typically have a lot of wind so lose petals earlier than some.

Fell in love with Mrs. FDR peony 3 years ago because of a pic that showed it in the form that looks like my first pic. It takes 3 years and disbudding of all side buds to get a bloom like that. Couldn't wait for my bush to mature to divide so had to order add'l one from Bannister Gardens last year. This is one peony I would not mind growing 3-4 plants of them just for the cut flowers.
I am so sorry to hear that your Mrs. FDR peony is damaged, Liz! I don't know how you deal with all that you have to endure weatherwise as well as naughty animals. I think I will sulk for a month. I so hope that your Mrs FDR peony will have a chance to show off soon. Can I ask how far along was the peony that it got damaged? Were there already buds?

It was only 6" or so with what looks like 4 stems started. I'd checked it a week or so before my TX trip and was very happy that it was recovering, it's one that I thought I might have lost from last year. We had over 10" of snow after I left and it wasn't covered, we had 60 edge temps the week before. When I got home it was a black gooey mess. I'm determined to not replace any peonies that don't make it after this fall, have a few coming but not that one. We'll start looking for a home to retire in 5-6 years, I'll replace those that any take our weather then. I'll still try to baby that root along if it comes up again next spring but my beds are too big now to deliberately add in more that I know will take a lot of care. I'll get Mrs FDR in the end but hopefully without killing any more plants here!

Mrs, FDR is a beautiful shade of pink, and such a perfect shape/form. Joker is really interesting, nice looking pink & then to get that beautiful edging later on. Nice!

These are pretty. Thanks for the look, especially for Joker. I have a Joker on order for the fall, and I was quite curious. It looks like an interesting one.

I think that you will like the Joker very much. It is an early double bloomer and the color changes make it very interesting. Here is how it looks today, even whiter than the one above (the same bloom).

I will do Liz! Thanks so much for your compliments. That means a lot. I will get on it as soon as my peak bloom is over. I can't keep up with taking pics of blooms and picking peonies for storage in the fridge and planting stuffs that I should not buy. OMG, clearance sales are everywhere and I can't help myself. LOL

Every compliment deserved, Karen. Your blooms are especially wonderful this year! I'll be waiting to hear how the fridge storage works out as well!

Karen they are gorgeous!! I'm amazed by the Joker never heard of it before I think I too may need to place an order.

Truly beautiful! Mrs. FDR has been on my fall order list - I love its perfect form!

Yours is really gorgeous. Thanks for posting!

Hi Karen!

What's your experience been with Mrs. FDR if you don't prune the sidebuds? I just bought four of them because I love the shape of the blossoms, but am wondering if I should've gone with something lower maintenance. Any images of what happens when you let the blooms do their own thing?

Thanks!!

Mrs. FDR is one of my favorite peony! She is such a consistent bloomer and the form is almost always perfect. It should be in everyone's garden, IMHO. It is as low maintenance as it gets with Mrs. FDR peony. My soil is not that great, clay and rocky and full of root competition. Yet it blooms wonderfully every year. It does need time to get established but it should bloom nicely from second year and thereafter. Be sure to disbud the sidebuds for fuller and bigger blooms. It may help with flower presentation if you provide support of the bush in the second year. I recommend that you deadhead the blooms after they are done not only for neatness but also helps the flowers not go to seed. Seeds take a lot of energy from the bush and thus take the energy from flower production as well as growth.

Thanks Karen! I appreciate your prompt response. Any others you think are indispensable? I'm kicking around duchesse de nemours, solange, and/or mother's choice also (I already have basics like festiva maxima and sarah bernhardt). I'll be sure to deadhead--I had no idea seed production was so costly!!

Depending on the peony seeds are generally formed by July. The idea that they take too much energy from a plant is one of those things. However since Mrs FDR is a full double it is unlikely it will even have carpels. Carpels are what develop into seed pods. Rarely you may find a carpel in one of the side buds and may use it for breeding. The pollen is useful for breeding.

Maifleur is much more knowledgeable than me in peonies so her information is first rate and more reliable. As I don't know which peonies will form seeds and which do not, I just deadhead all of the peonies in my garden. I have found in my experience that this practice helps my peonies grow better and bloom better than those that I allow to go to seeds so i just do it. I have also found that this practice helps my daffodils grow and increase faster too. Nick Shaylor, Coral Charm, and Red Charm are fantastic and fuss free peonies. Other peonies that I recommend but are less rigorous than those just mentioned are Bess Bockstoce, Candy Stripe and if your budget allows it Pastelegance and Lorelei. Pastelegance is so very gorgeous! Even with its pricey price tag, it is so so worth it to grow it and enjoy it in one's garden.