Once again, Saaremaa Nursery and Show Garden (Saaremaa Puukool) will be hosting its annual peonies festival, where about 5000 shrubs of over 50 different varieties will be on display.

Despite the prolonged drought, the blossoms this year are in no way compromised. This plant is beautiful but low-maintenance.

"It should be watered correctly only when planting and it could be neglected in years that follow. Then there may be a hedge that was once established and has flowered for a century," Rain Arro, marketing manager of Saaremaa Nursery, explained.

"During a drought period, such as the one we are experiencing this summer, I suggest watering the peonies twice," he said, adding that none of the seedlings in the nursery have been irrigated.

You can safely plant different colors next to one another in your garden without worrying about them not blending. "It is characteristic of variety Scarlet O'Hara that at first, when the flower buds emerge and open, it is rather dark red, and then at the end of flowering, it turns light pink," he gave an example.

Visitors flock to Saaremaa from all over Estonia. Reelika from Tallinn said, "There are still quite a few unique varieties and hues, and we enjoyed seeing that."

"There is a scarlet and solitary specimen in the back corner; I really like it, but I can't recall its name right now," Maarika from Hiiumaa said.

However, in addition to the gorgeously landscaped garden and the 10,000 planned bushes, Saaremaa Nursery has also begun a project that may become international news.

"The plan is to breed peony from Saaremaa; we are presently working on it and have planted the seeds. In a few years, I believe we will be proud to say that Saaremaa has its very own peony variety," he said. "However, I am not able to say what color it will be, as I do not even know."

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