The Peonies of Eugene Lins - Part 1

Not much happens in Cologne, Minnesota. It isn't known for producing many famous people, either. But last year I discovered that one of the peony hybridizing pioneers of this century lived right here. And you may have one of his peonies.

Last fall my husband and I got into geocaching. We were trying to track down a mystery cache and ended up in Cologne Lions Park. We paused in the pavilion and my attention was drawn to a framed collage of peonies. Next to this were several information plaques and I learned, to my astonishment, that nearly 40 varieties of peonies - my favorite plant and so full of nostalgia - were created by a native of Cologne.

His name was Eugene Lins. He started growing peonies on his farm at the edge of town in the 1920s as a hobby. This hobby took off and soon Mr. Lins began hybridizing and propagating those peonies. He named several of them after his wife and daughters: Mary, Mandeleen, Marcella, Ramona, Rosemarie, and Dolores. By the 1960s he created 39 varieties, many of which won state and national awards, and shipped them all over the world. Mr. Lins gained international fame for his world-class peonies. In fact, Lins Peonies can still be found in Europe, Australia, and other countries. They are also displayed at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. And, of course, Lins Peonies can be found all across the little unassuming town of Cologne, Minnesota where they all started. (I'm pretty sure my neighbors have a whole row of them!)

When Mr. Lins passed away in 1967, his family sold seven acres of his estate to the Cologne Lions Club to be developed into a park. Over the years Cologne Lions Park added a pavilion, picnic area, baseball field, and a playground. In 2009 a new feature was added: The Lins Peony Garden.

I couldn't find much information about Mr. Lins or who originated the idea of the this project, but I'm pretty sure his family wanted to commemorate his work. His son, Gene, spent 35 years tracking down, propagating and preserving his father's peonies. One of Mr. Lins' granddaughters made a piece of art depicting each of his peonies. The goal of The Lins Peony Garden is to cultivate and display them for public enjoyment, to preserve a piece of little-known Cologne notoriety, and, perhaps most importantly, to return each of Eugene Lins' 39 peonies to his property.

When I made the discovery of this garden's existence I knew I had to come back in the summer to see these peonies in bloom. Well, the peonies in our yard are beginning to bloom, so I grabbed my camera and set out for Lions Park.

What a sight! The garden boasts three specimens of each variety (currently 27), and stretches for at least 100 feet (30 meters)! Half of the varieties are in full glorious bloom. The date is when that particular peony was created.

Blue Rose (1957)

Confetti (1965)

Festival Queen (1954)

Gardenia (1949)

King Midas (1942)

Lilac Time (1958)
with a little blue butterfly / moth

Mary L. (1949)
named after Eugene's wife

Mercedes (1956)

Old Lace (1945)
note the delicate pink of the lower petals

Valencia (1941)

So these are the peonies blooming right now. I'll be making frequent return trips to get photos of the rest. I will also make a new tab in this blog devoted to the Lins Peonies. I think my favorites (currently, anyway) are Festival Queen and King Midas. I inherited several peonies from my grandmother, the names of which have been long lost, so I'm going to compare them - and the ones my neighbor has - to the Lins Peonies.

I just love how a day of geocaching turned up an entirely different kind of treasure.