Anna Voroshilova
Country:
Russia, Krasnodar Krai, the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban
Short biography:
I was born in 1955, and I have two sons—both born in the Murmansk region, in northern Russia. I worked there for a long time, first as a crane operator in manufacturing, and then in my primary field, as an accountant. Now that I’m retired, this has opened up new opportunities for me.
Growing peonies has become my true passion. I do this with my brother and our close friend Olga—we are truly like-minded people. Our garden is a shared creation, a place where we cultivate beauty and share joy together.
More information:
Peony hybridizers series
How did you first get involved in peony hybridizing?
Peony hybridization has been a cherished dream of mine since 2000, when I first realized the incredible diversity of their shapes and colors. In 2010, I began conducting my own crosses.
Over the years, we’ve built a significant collection—both internationally bred varieties and numerous mother plants. I’ve always admired the work of American hybridizers of the 20th century. They laid the foundation on which we all build today.
What was your starting material for your hybridizing?
Our work was based on a strong, time-tested foundation. We deliberately selected well-known and reliable American-bred varieties as parent plants, such as Vanilla Schnapp’s (Seidl/Bremer), Salmon Dream (Reath), Mackinac Grand (Reath), Lemon Chiffon (Reath), Sugar n’ Spice (Rogers), Qeueenbee (Krekler/Klehm), and many others. Later, we added modern Dutch varieties by Joshua Scholten, as well as peonies hybridized by Fawkner and Schulze. I was especially delighted to acquire the peony variety Quitzin — I’d dreamed of it for 15 years and still remember the incredible feeling of finally planting it in my garden.
Our goal wasn’t to start from scratch, but to draw on the best achievements of global breeding. These varieties gave our seedlings that special “magic” of unusual shapes and colors. Our lines are based on the genes of renowned “old-timers” of the peony world, which we lovingly combine in search of our own uniqueness. We essentially stand on the shoulders of giants, striving to combine and enhance the best traits of our “star” ancestors.
What are your goals in hybridizing peonies?
During pollination, Olga and I always joke: “What if a blue peony is hiding in that box?” Of course, it’s nothing more than a good joke, our incentive to maintain a positive attitude and passion during the long process.
But we also have very serious goals. We are truly delighted when we see the desired traits in our seedlings: large, perfectly shaped flowers with recognizable and promising colors. It’s important to us that they are resilient to the vagaries of the weather in the various regions where peonies can be grown. Ideally, this is a harmonious combination of endurance and impeccable aesthetics.
How large is your hybridizing program?
The scale of our work is constantly expanding. We started with about 500 crosses per season, and today that number exceeds 2,000. Every year, we plant about 5,000 seedlings, and a separate plot of just under 1 hectare is dedicated to this entire hybridization program.
Do you have any plants in the market?
Yes, you can find information about our seedlings at all of these links. We sell them through our online store or from other private nurseries that have previously purchased planting material from us.
Can you describe a few of your plants that you consider the best or most beautiful and which are available now?
Click on the images to enlarge and read the cultivar’s name below it (the Russian name is the original, english is merely the google translation)
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