The Peony is blooming. This was one of the few perennials that was here when I bought Squirrelhaven 15 years ago. At that time, it was struggling under the shade of three Austrian Pines. Eventually it stopped blooming. Because there are power lines overhead there, the trees had to go. The Peony was thrilled. Now it is loaded with blooms, and its strong scent perfumes the whole garden. The only fault of this Peony is its tendency, like all the other large doubles, to flop not entirely unlike boiled spaghetti, especially after a rain.
It's quite pathetic, even with a hoop support.
The question is, what is this Peony? Here's its mug shot.
Here's the side view.
It starts blooming between the end of May and the middle of June. Does that make it an early or a mid-season Peony? It has a very strong fragrance. It gets about 36 inches tall. (At least it does before it flops.)
(This photo was taken before Saturday night's rain.) Does anybody recognize this Peony?