Frances asked for it, so here it is, one of the many Badly-sited Plants that Came With the House (BPCWH). (Pardon the unsightly fence that desperately needs replacing.) While it is not clear from this photo, there is a stepping stone path between the Quince and three overgrown Barberries, a sensation not entirely unlike that of a pincushion. I wish whoever planted it had given some thought to its location and tried to espalier it. It's probably too late for that, so every year I put on my thickest gloves and a denim jacket & cut it back. Not the ideal situation, but we have enough other overgrown BPCWHs that need removal. Besides, it's hard to get rid of it when it flowers like this.
On an entirely unrelated note, I fear that my beloved Tree Peony will not bloom this year. I was prepared for the first night of frost in late April and I covered all the buds, but the next night's frost was not forecasted, so I had no warning. This is what it looked like last year.
It's not that the buds are blackened, just that there's been no growth on them since that night. I'm not optimistic.
It's not that the buds are blackened, just that there's been no growth on them since that night. I'm not optimistic. 
21 comments:
Hi MMD, thanks so much for showing the white quince and making me laugh out loud at the pincushion remark, so you! I don't think you can cut those quinces back too much, maybe over several years, one third of the shrub at a time, all the way to the ground. Then you can do the espalier thing. The barberries maybe could be replaced with something better and non pickery. Please accept my sympathy for the tree peony, it is a wonderful color. Do you know the name? I have one that the tag looked like that, but it is not blooming size yet. That takes several years, doesn't it? Thanks for the link. ;-> Also, you have been one of the most consistent commentors on my blog since the very first day, and I would like to thank you for that.
Frances
Ahhh...poor peony. This has been an odd spring, hasn't it?
Luckily, there's always next year!
MrMcD, I don't think you can kill a quince by cutting it back. I had a neighbor that cut theirs to the ground because it was unruley and difficult to prune. They hoped it would die. ha... it was thrilled with the cut back and came back thick as ever after a year or so. So I don't think you need be timid about your pruning.
It is disappointing regarding your tree peony. We gardeners always have to think Maybe next year.
How sad about the tree peony.....gardening is so unpredictable.
I have just visited Beckie at Dragonfly Corner....saw your comment on Wisteria. I have just done a post on them and arches if you are interested.
My wisteria buds were hit by frost and all dropped off. The plant did regenerate and is now in bloom.
Hello there, MMD, very nice Quince all dressed in white....
I have given up on my Tree Peony ever flowering again...it bloomed once or twice and never again....so sad.not sure what is going on with it. Not frost, it just doesn't set blooms.
Hoping your garden week is divine!
gail
Just gorgeous! Loved all your woodland bloom day shots too. Maybe your tree peony will surprise you. My magnolias got a bad frost this season, and I figured the bloom were over, but then they surprised me.
Encouraging to note that we have the same fence aesthetic.
Frances - I don't know how I do it, but I always seem to be just ahead of the crowd. I recognized the quality of your blog right from the start. (Go ahead, call me a trendsetter. ;^} ) I've been trying to kill off the Barberry for several years now. The problem is that there were 3 of them. (What were these people thinking? Sadism?) Last year I decided that my Tree Peony must be Ofujinishiki, as it definitely was not Kamada Nishiki, which is what it was labelled.
Hi, Nancy - I used to be a Cubs fan, so I know all about "wait 'til next year."
Lisa - thanks for the Quince advice. I'll try cutting it back more sharply to try to flatten it.
Cheryl - I will check out your post. I'm hoping to incorporate the support structure into a new gate which will be adjacent to the fence behind the Quince.
Gail - how depressing that your Tree Peony stopped blooming. I wonder if it was a problem with not enough light. Mine seems to be settling in nicely, it's just that we had the 2 nights of frost after several weeks without.
Country Gardener - thanks for visiting! I hope you're right about the Tree Peony.
MSS - if you like that, you should see the frame on the outside of my bedroom window (talk about warts). The fence is supposed to be replaced, but you know how these things go when it's a relative who is going to do the work.
Hi MMD, I never thought much about quinces (there used to be one out back in the apartment when I first moved here), but it never bloomed like yours! I'm glad we didn't inherit barberries here because I would want to kill it too, lol. But then, we still have a stubborn ancient chokecherry in the backyard that we've been trying to get rid of, to no avail. We just saw it down every year and hope it gives up, lol.
Sorry to hear about your tree peony! Such a shame ... We were just looking at them the other night and may well get one this year to go in with the new bush peonies we got. I was going to guess Kamata Nishiki was yours, but looks like you already did your homework!
Yep, there's always next year ... (small consolation though, eh?)
I did the same - sited some Berberis very badly and ended up with pincushion legs :(
Love your tree peony - fingers crossed that it recovers yet.
You asked a question over at my place re Clematis and earwig problems. Thta's not been too bad for me - partly because they're sited by some dahlias which tend to keep the earwigs to themselves. A cane topped with a small upside down flowerpot full of straw attracts them too and then you can then empty the pot out each morning well away from their favourite plants!
My fingers are crossed for your tree peony. The flowers look amazing.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your peony buds! We had close to a frost last night as the thermometer registered 35 degrees although I think there were some frost pockets around. Full moon tonight! Warming trends to come. I do love the coolness of spring!
Iowa Victory Gardener - when the Peony bloomed, I could tell it wasn't Kamada Nishiki because that plant doesn't have dark blotches inside like a Rock Tree Peony.
VP - thanks for the Earwig advice. I feel a project coming on: painted terra cotta Earwig traps.
Lori - the Tree Peony is the only over-the-top Diva in the garden. It's worth it even if it doesn't bloom every year.
Layanee - I've been loving this cool weather. It's perfect for me, but my daughter is unhappy because she wants to wear shorts to school.
Sorry about your tree peony. It's always so disappointing when you are eagerly anticipating something blooming and then it doesn't. I've been fortunate this year, but last year was another story.
Could you or Frances explain what "espalier" means?
Rose - "espalier" is a French word which means "up against the wall & spread 'em." A tree or shrub is trained so that its trunk grows flat against a wall with the branches also growing flat against the wall, usually in a pattern. It's used mostly for fruit trees in small spaces. Jim at Art of Gardening has posted a photo of his espalied apple tree, with the branches growing in a diamond pattern.
Heh...you have a "problem quince", and I'm planting them on purpose! :) Of course, location does make all the difference, and mine are where I want them forever...along with my barberries. Good luck with your peony, as the other commenters said a miracle may be forthcoming. As for eradicating barberries...nearly impossible if well-established (in my experience). My old BF had one that he cut to the ground, burned with gasoline, and tried to pull out by the roots with a chain and 4X4 pickup...it's still there! Yikes!
Hello Mr McGregor's Daughter,
We once pulled out barberries with chains and a truck axle (soak the ground first), then kept after the root sprouts for a few years. Good luck with getting rid of them, but the white quince deserves a to be reinvented in a new form. Sure hope the peony returns next spring!
"Used to be a Cub Fan"....isn't that like "used to be Irish" or "used to be a gardener"...things that are not subject to change?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
We had a barberry that was full of leaves from the fall and my husband decided he could burn them out quicker than raking, so...to make a long story short, the fire killed the bush and it pulled fairly easily. Needless to say, I don't let him help with the spring cleanup anymore!
Lisa - now I'm really scared of the Barberry!
Annie - I don't watch or go to the games anymore & I'm married to a diehard White Sox fan. I don't even know who's playing for the Cubs these days. I think I'm cured.
Beckie - what is it with men & fire? I don't think my village would look to kindly on our holding a conflagration of the Barberries.
What a beautiful tree peony! My 'Sahohime' is done blooming for the year...oh wait. It's doing a weird thing that it's never done before...sending up three shoots from the roots and they're the regular peony leaves. They're going to bloom, too, maybe next week? I'm going to let them go until they bloom so I can see what they look like, but I think they're reverts, so they'll get trimmed out.
Kylee - Sounds like the garden Peony rootstock has decided to get in on the action. Mine tried that once, but I didn't even let it get to the bud stage.
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