✅ Understanding the Basics: Why vegetative propagation is essential for cloning parent traits, avoiding unpredictable seedlings, and achieving blooms in just 2–3 years.


✅ Herbaceous Peonies: Complete timing and step-by-step techniques for dividing root clumps (focusing on eye count, root sizing, depth, and proper aftercare).


✅ Root Cuttings: How and when to use root cuttings for herbaceous peonies as an alternative propagation method.

✅ The Benefits of Seeds: How seed propagation offers a budget-friendly way to introduce genetic diversity, create new hybrid cultivars, and access rare species.


✅ Peony Biology & Breeding: Understanding pollination types (self vs. cross).


✅ Harvesting & Storage: How to identify fertile seeds, extract, dry, and safely store them in airtight containers.

✅ Fresh vs. Dry Seeds: Crucial differences in germination timelines and how to handle dried purchased seeds.

Alla Olkhovska wears many hats – she is a dedicated gardener, a passionate amateur photographer, a creative floral designer, and an aspiring writer. Her greatest passion is caring for Clematis, Peonies, Galanthus, and other rare bulbous plants and perennials. She has an exceptional collection of species peonies, which she promotes among gardeners due to their simple yet elegant appearance, perfect for natural-style gardens. Many of these species are hardy and decorate the garden throughout the season with their unique, stunning foliage and bright seed heads in late summer and autumn, making them resistant and charming additions to any landscape. Despite her home in Kharkiv, Ukraine, currently residing in a war-torn region, Alla remains undeterred, continuing her gardening pursuits as a steadfast mission to sow beauty in a troubled world.
Her artistic flair extends to photography, where she has mastered the art of capturing light to weave enchanting visual tales of the flora that graces her garden. These artful photographs find their way into her blogs and ebooks, offering glimpses of nature’s splendor through her lens. Her initial ebooks dedicated to Clematis – ‘Clematis’ and ‘Clematis Passports’ – showcase her profound love for botanical treasures and are recommended by the International Clematis Society. The documentary ‘Gardening in a War Zone’ by Erin Benzakein offers a poignant glimpse into Alla’s life, encapsulating her resilience, passion, and dedication amidst the backdrop of conflict.