Peonies are popping at Wave Hill! Show stopping voluptuous, peonies are worth the space in our Flower Garden. Find 16 different peonies and a variety of old-fashioned types and modern selections. From the first Paeonia ‘Soft Salmon Saucer’ that is pink and simple to the exotic Golden Itoh Peony (Paeonia ‘Garden Treasure’) to the frilly pom pom Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’. Requiring support for their heavy flowers, peony rings are placed over top of the foliage just as they start to emerge in early spring. After flowering, the spent blossoms will be removed, and their performance is done. Foliage blends into the display as attention is drawn elsewhere. Most of these peonies were additions in the 1980s, making them over 30 years old.⁠ ⁠ — Jess Brey, Senior Horticultural Interpreter Pictured Sarah Berhardt and Golden Itoh Peony (fb)

There are two elusive plants that bloom at the same time, but due to their placement in the garden I will totally miss them if I don't search them out. I hope you go find them on your visit this month—it is worth it! One is the Oyama magnolia (Magnolia sieboldii), tucked on the outside of the Entrance Walk behind the crab apple. If you walk on the lawn, you'll find it across from the trio of bald cypresses. The nodding flowers are best viewed from underneath. I laid on the grass and looked up for a beautiful view at their magenta stamens cupped inside the medium-sized flowers. The second is the snow poppy (Eomecon chionantha). Find it running about on the southeastern hillside of the Wild Garden. View the snow poppies from the pathway at the bottom of the stairs looking up. This steep area is unofficially called hellebore hill due to the numerous hellebores, which have nodding flowers that are best viewed from below. The snow poppy has delicate flowers that will look you straight in the face when viewed at eye level, which this hillside allows. Or in my case they have their back to you, which shows off their adorable x-shaped sepals. — Jess Brey, Senior Horticultural Interpreter (fb)