The American Peony Society

The History of the Peonies and their Originations p. 141

LOVELY LOUISE (1962) - Double, light pink.

MECCA - Red single.

MIDNIGHT SUN (1954) - Jap, dark red.

MILDRED MAY (1943) - Semi-double, white.

MOONSTONE (1943) - Double, blush.

MRS. E. J. STREICHERT (1942) - Deep pink, double.

MRS. LOIS B. WATTS (1965) - Double, deep pink.

MRS. TELFER MacARTHUR (1940) - Double, blush.

PEACE (1955) - Double, white.

PETITE D'OR (1944) - Single fading to white.

PRINCESS MARGARET (1960) - Early double, dark pink.

RED BALL (1950) - Double, red.

RENATO (1949) - Double red. Much improved Felix Crousse.

WALTER E. WIPSON (1956) - Late double white.

DR. JOHN H. NEELEY - Paulding, Ohio

The late Dr. Neeley never placed any of his originations in commerce. He was strictly an amateur gardener and he raised hundreds of seedlings for his own pleasure. He named a great many of them and frequently changed the names until he found one he liked for that particular variety. Being more or less of an artist and a poet, he liked artistic flowers and many of the peonies he named he kept for this reason and so we find a great many semi-doubles and delicately colored flowers that do not appeal to the average peony buyer. However among them are several of the finest we have today. A year or two after his death his entire plantings were turned over to the Auglaize Gardens of Van Wert, Ohio, and they have done what they could to preserve the best. Dr. Neeley himself gave dozens of them to his friends and so they gradually made their way into commercial lists. Below is given a list of all the varieties he ever named so far as we can find records. The numbers are also given, so that any who may have some still under number may know the names if they were ever named. Quite a number he never named but gave out under number are still in existence. It also seems likely that some of the numbers were changed at one time and we know that several of the names were changed. We have given this information when it was known. The dates are mostely guesses.

71. AIRY DREAM (1936) - Double, late. Light silvery pink. All dead.

56. ALLURE (1936) - Double, midseason. Large white with yellow lights. Original name was HEART'S ALLURE. This was often confused with HEART'S IDOL so the word Heart's was dropped.

30. AMERICAN QUEEN (1936) - Double. Tall ivory white. Flat flower. Good.

37. BIG PARADE (1936) - Double. Big white. Old No. 88x.

1. BLUSHING BEAUTY (1936) - Double, late. Ivory lilac white.

12. CRYSTAL SEA (1936) - Double. Maybe semi-double. Pink to white or ivory pink. Original name probably EVENING BLUSH.

49. DAWN'S FLUSH (1936) - Double. Deep self-pink showing stamens. Very good.

FAIRY BELLE - A variety of this name was given Mr. Gumro and it died. It may have been

No. 16 afterwards named LETO. No other record.

FLOW'RET OF EDEN (1919) - Double, early. Tall light pink. Well known.

14. FOREST ROSE (1936) - Double. Unusual strawberry pink. Extra good.

75. FORTUNE'S GIFT (1930) - Double. Creamy white, heavy stems. May also have been called MORNING GLEAM. All stock seems to have been lost, but it was given to several friends who may still have a plant of it. We should like to know.

74. FRECKLES (1936) - Double. Ta/ll loose flower rose pink shot with spots of deeper pink.

53. GARDENER'S JOY (1936) - Semi-double. Uniform soft pink fading white. Tall.

GLORIANA (1918) - Double, late midseason. Extra large deep violaceous pink. Tall.

13. GARDEN PRINCESS (1930) - Semi-double, midseason. Large, tall, graceful, shimmering silvery pink. A true princess.

19. HARRIET J. NEELEY (1936) - Double, midseason. Very large deep uniform rose pink. This color is evidently so near red that many consider it a red flower.

28. HARRY L. BURDEN (1931) - Double, midseason. Light rose pink. Good form.

3. HEART'S IDOL (1936) - Double, midseason. Ivory white, very full center.

70. HEARLD STAR (1936) - Double. Ivory white, large to extra large, snowing stamens. First named CRYSTAL CUP.

JUNE BELLE (1925) - Double, early. Medium light pink. This variety was given Mr. Gumm and there seems to be no other record of it.

16. LETO (1930) - Jap, midseason. White guards with large center of yellow staminodes fading white. A fine Jap almost anemone. The names FAIRY DREAM, CHARMER and MOONLIGHT MIST seem to have been tied out on it also.

20. LIBERTY BELLE (1926) - Double, midseason. Rose pink, large and full. Pleasing.

39. LOTUS CUP (1936) - Semi-double, midseason. Nymphoea like pink showing many stamens. Large.

50. LOYALTY (1936) - Double, midseason. Tall cup shaped flower of light mauve pink. First called MEADOW STAR.

25. MADONNA (1936) - Semi-double. Large long petalled flower of ivory pink.

54. MAIDEN BLUSH (1936) - Double, early. Soft pink guards with a heavy comb of smaller petals of straw yellow deeper at base.

17. MAIDEN QUEEN (1936) - Double, late. Large rose colored.

33. MATCHLESS BEAUTY (1936) - Double, midseason. White guards with broad yellow collar. Stiff stems. Very good.