October "Goldilocks"

Goldilocks Peony of the Month October

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

"Goldilocks" is a rare hybrid herbaceous peony.

This gold-yellow beauty matches the autumn time perfectly. Watch the October "Peony of the Month Chat Show" to find out what our guests have to say about "Goldilocks"!


Why we chose her 

We chose "Goldilocks" because it's a beautiful, gold-yellow peony - a colour perfect for representing autumn. Siyuan liked it  particularly because of her warm hue - relatively uncommon among peonies. She compared the colour to delicious, sweet ice cream eaten in the summer - a memory we need during these rainy autumn days! 
Peony of the Month - Goldilocks

"Goldilocks" in the garden

"Goldilocks" is a herbaceous peony, rather short, growing up to 70 cm. She does not have any scent; however, we think her appearance fully compensates for that! "Goldilocks" flowers early in the season and has gorgeous, full, double flowers, resembling those of chrysanthemums. These petals are the reason why "Goldilocks" gets her name - they have a real sunshine-gold hue, interlocked together like curly hair locks!

Because the yellow tone of "Goldilocks" is warm and soft and not lime or lemony, we suggest pairing her with plants that will bring out the golden hues. We recommend using Alchemilla 'Goldstrike' - its blue, round leaves will contrast with the gold peony.

Alchemilla Sericata Gold Strike
Alchemilla seriata 'Goldstrike' - photo credit: Gardeners' World.

The second choice is the Japanese grass 'Beni Kaze. Actually, at this time of the year, it's in all shades of red, orange and yellow - gorgeous autumn-themed colours!

Planting Peony Roots

Autumn is not only the time of golden harvest - it's also the perfect moment to plant peonies in your garden! It will allow them to establish a good root system so that they can blossom in the spring. Today, we share some tips from our expert, Heath, so that you can enjoy blossoms both on the wall and in your garden!

The first step is to find a reputable peony grower - like Binny Plants - and get strong, chunky roots with at least three to five 'eyes' - pink growth buds - on them. This will guarantee you will have at least one peony stem!

Next, it's necessary to put the roots in the ground as soon as you get them. Plant them in an open, sunny space in your garden; not too deep, just a little bit under the surface so that the buds are above the ground. These buds need to be open to the air and later frost - the cold is necessary to activate them! Also, try to avoid having too many other plants around - they will be competing with the peony for resources. That's it for the winter months!

Once they start to come up, the buds will need some boost to prepare for flowering. Give them light feed - like tomato fertiliser, for instance.

After the flowering season ends, it's best to deadhead peonies and give them another round of fertiliser to redirect the resources into roots and next year's growth!

Botanical Art on Your Wall

The interlocked petals of "Goldilocks" made her an exciting and challenging subject for a painting. The shape and colour made Siyuan think of the harvest time - the time in autumn when we reap the fruit of the whole year's hard work.  

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

Apart from the limited-edition prints, we will also have a more affordable option - open-edition A4 prints! Click here to view the "Goldilocks" peony print in the store. 
Peony of the Month October Goldilocks
Peony of the Month Goldilocks on the Wall

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