Visitors are making the annual pilgrimage to the University of Michigan this week to see and smell one of the world’s premier collections of peonies.
— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) June 2, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Despite living in Michigan (not Ann Arbor) for years, I did not know about this:
… The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden features the largest collection of historic — pre-1950 — herbaceous peonies in North America, “and likely the world,” curator David Michener said.
“Once you come here to the Peony Garden, you’ll be mesmerized, and you’ll understand why people love peonies,” he said. “The fragrances, the colors, the forms, it’s just intoxicating.”
The peony watch is a spectator sport with tens of thousands of visitors arriving at The Arb each spring to behold the unique perennials — so many that visitors have to be bused in…
It’s a moving target each year as to when the peonies will reach peak bloom. And one of great interest – with scores of peony-watchers glued to the Arb’s Instagram page for updates.
“What makes it so challenging to predict is they pay no attention to the calendar,” Michener said. “They’re driven totally by day and night temperatures.”
The campus Peony Garden contains more than 300 historic cultivated varieties from the 19th and early 20th centuries, representing American, Canadian and European peonies of the era. The garden typically features up to 10,000 flowers at peak bloom.
Their colorful blossoms draw admirers from Michigan and beyond, but the peonies’ beauty is not their primary function. The garden is designed as a support mechanism for academia — to be a research collection for students and faculty to explore genomics and social issues.
Michener and his colleagues at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum work closely with their sister garden in Minsk, the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, trying to understand how ornamental peonies are related to each other and the wild, ancestral species.
Michigan’s Peony Garden is free to visit and open from sunrise to sunset. For those drawn to the ancient plant’s scent, Michener said it’s best to show up earlier in the day or later in the evening, when the fragrances are the best.
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I know this is the busy season… but if nobody sends me photos (Anne-Laurie (at) Balloon-Juice.com), there can’t be Sunday photo posts!
What’s going on in your garden(s), this week?
War for Ukraine Day 1,199: Putin & Russia Continue to Unload on Kharkiv
MagdaInBlack
I look forward to Sunday Garden Chat, A.L. Thank you.
( I do still miss Ozarks contributions)
satby
The rain knocked over the peonies in my largest plant even with supports that were supposed to keep them up, but they still look glorious. Someday I’ll have to venture north to see that garden.
satby
It rained again last night, more is expected today. Coincidentally, the three baby robins in the nest on my garage light fledged over the last two days. So the rain and wet grass will keep me from mowing the yard until it’s very likely they’ll be fully able to fly off. Darn 😂
twbrandt
I have visited the peony gardens at the Arb, and they are truly spectacular.
Ned F
My peonies didn’t survive the winter this year, never sprouted this spring. So I planted a new one, but it won’t bloom this year. The Hydranges are gloriously out of control though. I’ll have to trim them back in the fall, but not sure how to do that.
They Call Me Noni
My raised bed of Asiatic lilies are huge and will be opening very soon and the glads are getting tall. I don’t grow any veggies but have pots of herbs on the back deck and they are all going great guns as we’ve had a very wet spring. Made my first batch of basil pesto yesterday. The hydrangeas in the beds are starting to put on flowers, the roses are mounds of blooms, the sedums are getting big and all the phlox will flower soon which will make the butterflies and hummingbirds very happy.
ZenMasterZeke
Unfortunately, https://www.michiganpublic.org/public-safety/2025-06-02/peonies-vandalized-at-ums-matthaei-botanical-gardens-and-nichols-arboretum
satby
@Ned F: it depends on what type of hydrangeas they are, but here’s a pretty detailed rundown of how to prune each type from the University of Maryland Extension office.
Scout211
I started harvesting blueberries a few days ago and squash and cucumbers yesterday. All my winter salad greens have bolted in the warmer temps but I’ll plant more this fall. I have melons forming and I quickly placed the little guys in upside-down cloches, which I discovered last year and has been the best solution to the voles eating my melons.
Our jacaranda tree is now bright with its pretty purple flowers. I love those gorgeous showy flowers.
Since my husband can’t anymore, I have become an expert at maintaining and repairing drip lines and making sure all the plants, shrubs and trees throughout the property get water regularly. I can’t say I ever wanted to learn how to maintain and fix drip line irrigation but we do what we have to do when life happens, right?
Gvg
I love the looks of peonies but they will not grow here. I did extensive reading and tried some but no luck. There is a chance with some of the complex ITOH hybrids but they are very expensive and it’s only a slight chance so i haven’t spent the money on an unlikely chance. Florida has a lot of other beautiful plants northern gardens can’t grow. Until recently I hadn’t realized hydrangeas didn’t always bloom even in Georgia if a late freeze got the flower buds. Gardenias are also easy. Camellias need care until established for 2 or 3 years but after that survive decades. But I really do love the way peonies look.
MazeDancer
Peonies are like lilacs. Heavenly. Exquisite. Fleeting.
sab
I was given a small potted hydrangea for step-mother’s day. I am guessing by the flowers that it is a dwarf panicle. I think to survive it needs to be out of the pot and into the ground soon. I am thinking I will put it next to the house with a southeastern exposure so it gets morning and midday sun and very little direct wind. I’ll have to water it because it’s sheltered enough that it doesn’t get much direct rain.
Would this work for it?
Trivia Man
Peonies popped this week, for some reason every other bush in the neighborhood was 2 weeks ahead of us. Same for the iris. Nothing obvious like shade, distance from lake, N S E or W… just weird.
sab
I was blaming the deer for the chomped off hosta on the edge of our driveway, but last week I saw our neighbor mow one of them. The others look fine. To be fair, it’s on a strip of land that belongs to him. I think I might try to sneak out and dig it up to move to a safer spot.
Ned F
@satby: Thanks for the link!
Jeffg166
Seems the w.e. upjohn peony garden was vandalized 6 days ago.
https://www.facebook.com/mbgna/videos/hello-im-tony-kolenic-director-of-matthaei-botanical-gardens-and-nichols-arboret/709582271484176/
satby
@sab: I think it should work. But you may have to be patient with it, it may not bloom again for a couple of years as it adjusts, or it could do great. I don’t know how much they force potted hydrangeas to bloom.
Trivia Man
I worked a lot more on my seeds this year than i ever have.
Good news: lettuce, spinach, swiss chard doing well. Several meals of lettuce and spinach leaves already and they just keep going strong. I’ll probably expand that section next year. The chard will be ready soon, but less of it. Cabbage i have about 5 strong heads going, im told that takes a lot linger to finish.
The zucchini, squash, and pumpkins are thriving, maybe 10 from either seeds or sprouts from inside. Probably harvest will be too big but thats ok.
Bad news: Sunflowers, snap dragons, black eyed susans, jalapeños… between seeds and sprouts from inside i probably did 200+. Different start dates and garden spots. I might end up with 1 jalapeño, 1 BES, and 4 sunflowers. Very disappointing. Wrong sun, rabbits, ground too cold, kept too long inside before moving, …. Lots of culprits.
satby
@Jeffg166: people suck.
Madeleine
I used to live in Ann Arbor. The peony garden is so special, beautiful in itself and tucked in a corner of the Arb. I have a bunch of pics from one year ‘s visit (not good photograhy, but good memories).
Thanks for posting them.
StringOnAStick
The vandals did a truly stupid thing that will win zero converts to their cause, if not worse.