Salem, Oregon: Adelman Peony Garden

We visited the Adelman Peony Garden on the same day that we visited Schreiner's Iris Gardens. The two locations are only a couple of miles apart, on opposite sides of I-5.

They nonetheless have very different approaches. While Schreiner's had multiple iris beds in orderly rows, Adelman's has a more diverse set-up. They may be better for getting general ideas for your garden.

Peonies are the stars, and they grow more than 500 peony varieties...

... but you will also find arrangements of rocks and fountains, and trees and shrubs of different heights.

The nursery is open to the public at bloom time at no charge. Bloom time lasts from late April through early June. We saw some flowers fully open, and some still in tight buds.

The showroom and two acres of display garden is set among 25 acres of production fields.

If you find varieties that you like, you can order for fall shipment.

There is plenty to like, in different sizes and colors and even in the quantity and arrangement of petals.

Some are a lot like roses, but others reminded me more of camellias.

Adelman's has both herbaceous and the woodier itoh peonies available. Both types are perennial, and some have been documented to live for 50 to 70 years. You may find something that will look beautiful in your garden for years to come.

Ideally, this could be how you feel about your own garden.

https://peonyparadise.com/