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Article: The prince of peonies: hardy and long lived, for all their fragile beauty, tree peonies are truly the aristocrats of the garden. Here, in upstate New York, they hold court in May.(gardens of the Linwood estate )
- Article from:
- Victoria
- Article date:
- May 1, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 © Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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With its labyrinth of thick walls and arched doorways beckoning into sequestered gardens, its gnarled wisteria sprawling theatrically over ancient arbors, Lee Gratwick's family estate is bewitching at any time of year. But when the tree peonies are aquiver with their crop of immense, chiffon-petaled flowers, the place is divine.
That's when most people encounter Linwood. During the last two weekends in May, Lee opens Linwood's gates, inviting the public to come and admire the collection of three hundred and sixty mature tree peonies--a hundred and sixteen varieties--in a spectrum of shimmering ball-gown colors. But the flowers are only part of Linwood's allure. ...