I got bored of waiting for the seed pods to open on the peonies, so I picked one and cut it open with a knife. It was full of tiny white seeds like those in a bell pepper. Hmmmmm... That doesn't look right.
So I googled and I read that most peony seeds from hybrids are in fact sterile. Dang! There goes Plan B. And even if you get fertile seeds, they have to be stratified not once but twice: first warm, until they make roots, then cold for months, until spring. And you know how I feel about stratifying.
Next, I asked the Head Librarian if I could dig a bulb from their peonies, since they have a variety that no one else has. But she said she'd rather not as there is "only one plant". Hmmmmmm... In fact there isn't "only one plant" as herbaceous peonies multiply by their roots and can be divided every three years at least, but, it's her plant, I'm not gonna argue with her. She said I'm welcome to the seeds...
Hm. This is proving tougher than I anticipated. If the library won't let me dig bulbs, I'm doubting the goodwill of the total strangers on whose private properties are two of the varieties I want. So we might be back to Plan C: money.
But at least I know I can get a white one from Ioana. That should get my feng shui started in the right direction, at least.
So I googled and I read that most peony seeds from hybrids are in fact sterile. Dang! There goes Plan B. And even if you get fertile seeds, they have to be stratified not once but twice: first warm, until they make roots, then cold for months, until spring. And you know how I feel about stratifying.
Next, I asked the Head Librarian if I could dig a bulb from their peonies, since they have a variety that no one else has. But she said she'd rather not as there is "only one plant". Hmmmmmm... In fact there isn't "only one plant" as herbaceous peonies multiply by their roots and can be divided every three years at least, but, it's her plant, I'm not gonna argue with her. She said I'm welcome to the seeds...
Hm. This is proving tougher than I anticipated. If the library won't let me dig bulbs, I'm doubting the goodwill of the total strangers on whose private properties are two of the varieties I want. So we might be back to Plan C: money.
But at least I know I can get a white one from Ioana. That should get my feng shui started in the right direction, at least.
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