Peonies - Tapa dura

His writing is authoritative and scholarly. An important book for any gardener's library. I continue to recommend it as a book you should have. -- Reiner Jakubowski "Peony" (11/18/2004) This is a valuable reference book, with huge detailed lists of cultivars.... A very useful book. Anyone who loves peonies will be delighted with this new book. -- Brian Porter "Saskatchewan Gardener" (02/01/1996) Rogers offers the fascinating background of the flower in the Chicago area. -- Jean Starr "Munster (IN) Times" (06/16/2005) It combines obvious passion for peonies...with meticulous historical and scientific research. -- Allen Lacy "Homeground" (02/01/1996) This new book has filled a serious void in the world of published references available to growers. -- Paul Sansone "Cut Flower Quarterly" (01/01/1996) Neither merely for the home gardener nor strictly for professionals, [this] clearly and astutely written book is for all plant lovers. -- Alice Joyce "Booklist" (09/01/1995) The book is very informative and written in a straightforward, readable style suitable for the academician as well as the avid gardener. -- Sharon Bale "HortScience" (06/01/1996) Paging through the many photos of "Peonies" is a colorful excursion of sorts that demands a stop here and there to read the narrative and the fascinating historical anecdotes that Rogers shares. Chock full of useful information ... written with authority by someone who has ... fielded every question that another peony lover can have. -- Natalie Walsh "Schenectady Daily Gazette" (08/19/2004) Besides botanical information there is peony history, lore, people, identification, propagation, hybridizing and cultivation to make this a fascinating book. -- Joanne S. Carpender "National Gardener" (08/01/2004) Rogers' love affair with peonies shows through his book, introducing a new generation to another flower out of our grandmothers' gardens, guaranteeing perpetuity. -- April Ober "Pacific Northwest Gardener" (10/01/1996) Reading this book has made me almost forget that peonies only bloom about two months a year, and that the rest of the season one has to make do with the shape and colour of their leaves. -- G. Van Uffelen "Blumea" (12/01/1996) The amateur is well served here, but so too is the would-be commercial grower. Rogers offers the equivalent of a full course in every aspect of peony raising, from culture to propagation. -- Ann Lovejoy "Horticulture" (02/01/2000) Rogers' life-long love affair with this marvelous flower is manifestly evident throughout the book, and his skill in addressing his subject covers all the bases. -- Peter Kendall "American Rhododendron Society Journal" (01/01/2006) The first conprehensive peony treatise in several decades... Breeders, propagators, and home gardeners alike will enjoy the very readable text.... a valuable reference for all peony lovers. Highly recommended. -- L. C. Ewart "Choice" (05/01/1996) He has packed this book with a wealth of detailed information about these magnificent, old-time favorites, and included an impressive listing of all species and cultivars currently available. -- Ethel Fried "Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer" (12/21/1995) Numerous color photos whet the appetite for a wide range of material; a source for many outstanding cultivars is laid out in an appendix which in and of itself if worth the price of the book. -- Peter Kendall "American Rhododendron Society Journal" (03/01/2004) I would suggest that those gardeners, and even would-be Peony nursery proprietors will find a rich source of sensible practical information that will do much to optimise the chances for success with this beautiful, much admired, greatly desired and often frustrating genus. -- Trevor Nottle "Australian Horticulture" (02/01/2000)

Al Rogers has been growing peonies since childhood, and this book represents more than 60 years' experience. The species are discussed, and from the thousand-odd listed cultivars of both tree and herbaceous peonies, Rogers singles out the superior for recommendation, along with some recent introductions.