Topic: Double crimson paeonys

[Redalder]

In our garden in Aberdeenshire  we had some wonderful old crimson double paeony's. They were the ones we remembered in gardens from our (50's) childhood and self seeded everywhere. When we moved south we had to rent for a few months before buying so I did not bring any with me. I have searched and searched but cannot find anything like them. Can anyone help me identify them or suggest a nursery that might stock old varieties?

[kGarden]

I've got some like that in my garden, nicked from my Mother's garden ... and her's before that I expect!!

I had a look on Kelways site
http://www.kelways.co.uk/category/herbaceous-peonies/2/?items_per_page=all
and found this:


Paeonia officinalis 'Rubra Plena'
Flowering Soon...in a cottage garden near You!
(Ancient origin) Granny's cottage garden peony. The peony that everybody knows or remembers! Deep red double blooms. Best given some support as the large flowers are extremely heavy. May flowering. Shorter variety growing to 50cm. A wonderful plant for evoking memories of times gone by.

http://www.kelways.co.uk/product/herbaceous-peonies/2/officinalis-rubra-plena-herbaceous-peony-paeonia/49/

[alkanet]

maybe it's one of these
http://www.ilovepeonies.com/Catalog_REDS.html
I believe the site is American, though

[Robert_Brenchley]

Kelways is probably your best bet. Do the flowers weigh the stems down and go a bit bleached-looking as they fade? If so its probably the common variety kgarden posted. There are only a limited number of varieties.

[kGarden]

Do the flowers weigh the stems down and go a bit bleached-looking as they fade?

Meant to mention that whilst trawling the Kelways site I came across "Red Charm" which is described as "highly refined version of the endearing Cottage Garden Peony", so that might be a better bet - I do love it when visitors say "Look at your lovely Bog Standard XYZ, I can't get mine to look anything like that" 

[Redalder]

I have had look at Kelways and I am pretty sure that Rubra Plena is the one! I concentrated on seeds rather than plants and somehow didn't think to look in Kelways, many thanks for your help.