Peony 'Green Lotus' in My Garden

This peony was bought in Oregon in 2012. 

I was intrigued by its name. 

In May and June, I got to see its first, and so far, only flower.

The frilly flower looks very unusual. I would say it has something rebelious, dynamic and unconventional in it.

It also has some casual elegance in it and is so different from others.

I wouldn't describe the color of the petals as green but the green tint is certainly visible in the base of the bloom.

The pink toward the tips of its petals goes well with the Ceniranthus flowers surrounding it.

I like its deep green leaves too. They are noticeably thicker than those of my other peonies.

This is the plant description by Rarity Gardens (Mt. Hood, Oregon) from  whom I bought it:

(Roy Klehm 1995). Single, cactus-dahlia type flowers feature pale, pistashio green petals with brush-strokes of soft pink on the petal extremities and contrasting bright yellow center stamens. Mild fragrance. Deep green foliage and compact shrybby growth to 28". Outstanding heat tolerance and one of our most warm hardy peonies. Prized for floral design. Blooms midseason. Rare.

Doesn't the flower look exotic?

These are the requirements for growing this plant from  B&D Lilies:

Sunny, well-drained location, 3 to 4 feet apart. Can be left undisturbed for many years.

 In severe winter climates, plant with eyes 1-2 inches below surface of soil (then top with winter mulch);

 Zone 6-7, cover eyes with 1 inch of soil, and mulch lightly for winter; 

Zone 8 or 9, leave the eyes exposed to allow as much winter chill as possible, do not mulch around eyes. 

Not suitable for areas where winter temperatures rarely fall below 40 degrees F. or plants will produce plenty of foliage, but be shy about blooming.

Some sources describe this peony as very vigorous. So far, I see very modest growth. 

My plant has full sun, loose soil, but it's still very young.

The soil here is probably not perfect for it (it's not slightly acidic as they like but strongly acidic). 

I might try to add some lime (I'm not sure I did it before planting),

and also keep other perennials a bit further from it to provide good air circulation.

I know that the herbaceous peony might take three years to bloom profusely, and I am ready to wait that long.

It is worth it.

***Copyright 2014 TatyanaS