January - Hillary Itoh

The botanical art print of Peony (Paeonia) “Hillary Itoh” painting is now available for sale in our store! In addition to peony paintings and fine art, in our “Peony of the Month” project, we discuss peony floral arrangement and garden design!

"Peony of the Month" Chat Show

Billy, Heath, Jens and Siyuan have also created the "Peony of the Month" Chat Show! It was a great pleasure to discuss the project and the peony "Hillary", and we definitely recommend you to watch it.

In the show, we share interesting facts about "Hillary", ideas about garden design, floral arrangement and colour composition, and we also let you know how to take care of your peonies! Watch below:

About "Hillary Itoh"

One of "Hillary's" advantages is that having the tree peony heritage in her, she has very strong stems holding the heavy flower heads quite well. And the number of flowers - which are truly big and blousy - can reach even 70 to 80 buds.

"Hillary Itoh" has an unusual characteristic - her flower changes colour over time! In the beginning, the petals might be a deep pink coral; then, getting towards the end of the flowering stage, turn into apricots, pinks, and white. 

"Hillary Itoh" starts flowering relatively early in the year - in May. Hopefully, we're going to see her soon.

Why we chose it

Siyuan, our artist and founder of The Peony Girl, proposed the idea of selecting a peony every month to Billy Carrathus - the owner of Binny Plants - and he absolutely loved it. He said: "How nice! I will make sure I choose a tough one for you". Joking aside, Billy and his team have chosen "Hillary Itoh".

What inspired their choice was that the American Peony Society granted "Hillary Itoh" a 2020 Gold Medal and chose her as the Peony of the Year for 2021.

The Gold Medal is awarded every year to peonies that show outstanding floral qualities, valued both by gardeners who want to produce perfect flowers and by those who enjoy beautiful, fresh flowers in their homes.

"Hillary" was granted the prize because of how popular she has become with gardeners and flower enthusiasts. She's also considered one of the best garden plants by gardeners all over the world.

It means that we're opening the year with a champion. What a great start!

How to design your garden with "Hillary Itoh"

"Hillary" is a big, luxurious, colourful flower, so it needs suitable perennials to complement her in the garden.

 Binny Plants recommends two choices. The first one is a geum called "Scarlet Tempest". 

It has medium-sized, red-orange flowers, perfect for sprinkling around "Hillary".

The second choice is geranium "Rozanne". It's a very well-known and strong geranium, flowering early in the year.

Those two perennials will create a perfect combination with "Hillary" and become the blast of colour much needed in early spring.

How to decorate your home with "Hillary Itoh"

A big, striking and exceptional peony such as "Hillary" should have an appropriate frame. Jens from Jens Jakobsen Floral Construction used a silver tray and made a frame out of wired twigs - simple, yet elegant, putting Hillary on the centre stage and not taking attention away from her. Note: in the absence of peonies in January, to represent them, carnations were used in the photo.  

"Hillary Itoh" botanical art by The Peony Girl

All peonies from the Peony of the Month collection will be painted by Siyuan Ren and turned into a limited edition series. There will be only 35 prints available of each peony. Each piece will be numbered and signed.

Click here to view the "Hillary Itoh" print in the store.