| Peonies are my favorite flowering perennial; just one | | | | thrive in sunny locations, tolerating a wide range of |
| step above roses for cut flowers. They are very | | | | soil types. Best growth is in soil with a pH of about 6. |
| easy to grow and once established can tolerate long | | | | Well-drained, loamy soil is best for good growth of |
| periods without rain. Additionally, unlike many other | | | | peonies. Peonies are heavy feeders and do not |
| flower varieties they are quite disease resistant. | | | | appreciate being moved so it is important to ensure |
| Peonies were one of the first perennials to populate | | | | they are planted in good, fertile soil. Peonies also |
| American gardens because of their large, showy and | | | | tolerate dryness, but don't expect them to be |
| fragrant flowers produced in mid-to late spring. Peony | | | | producing and storing food while the soil is dry. |
| flowers may be single, semi-double, or double and are | | | | Once peonies are well established, one may notice an |
| commonly 6 to 8 inches wide. A mature plant can | | | | abundance of ants on the buds each year. Ants are |
| have in excess of a hundred flowers and these can | | | | attracted to peonies because of the sweet nectar |
| be up to 10 inches or more across. The flowers | | | | they produce while in bud. The presence of ants on |
| range in color from crimson, scarlet, various shades | | | | peony blossoms is neither beneficial nor harmful to |
| of pink, to pure white. There are also new hybrid and | | | | the plant. |
| tree peonies with yellow or purple flowers. | | | | Fall is the best season to move peonies (if you must) |
| Most gardeners are familiar with the large, | | | | when they are dormant. Fall is also the best time to |
| double-flowered peonies. Garden peonies are also | | | | divide when swollen, red buds are clearly visible. |
| available in single-flowered, semi-double, Japanese, | | | | Planting, transplanting and dividing peonies may also |
| and anemone-type blossoms. Double-flowered forms | | | | be done in spring as soon as soils are workable. Fall |
| often get so top heavy from the weight of the | | | | planted divisions that have had several weeks of |
| blooms that they bend over the ground and | | | | growing time before the ground freezes, do better |
| sometimes even break off the stem. These to me | | | | the following year than those that have had less time |
| are the most spectacular, but should be staked so | | | | to develop new roots. |
| the flower stalk is not damaged. Tree peonies also | | | | Because winter chilling is required for dormancy, |
| come in single, semi-double and double-flowered | | | | peonies do not perform well in subtropical areas. In |
| forms, and the color range includes every color of | | | | cold climates, those with an average temperature |
| the rainbow except for blue. Single flowered varieties | | | | below -20 degrees F, winter mulching may be |
| seem to do better in shade than doubles. | | | | necessary in the absence of snow cover. In |
| Semi-doubles have multiple rows of petals surrounding | | | | preparation for the first winter, they should be given |
| a cluster of yellow stamens. For many years these | | | | a light layer of mulch to prevent heaving from frost. |
| large double-flowered hybrids dominated the cut | | | | If an extra cold winter kills the top growth of a tree |
| flower market, and were the most popular choices | | | | peony, cut the dead wood back in the spring. |
| for garden planting. | | | | Generally peonies need no winter protection, but |
| Peonies have not been readily available in nurseries | | | | mulch may be necessary in a few very cold areas. |
| until recently, and even now, it is not easy to find | | | | Planting |
| much beyond generic pink, white, or red unnamed | | | | Dig a hole 12 to 18 inches deep and 12 inches wide. |
| varieties. But, a huge variety of peonies exist. One | | | | Place the peony in the prepared hole so that the |
| may have to scout out what is available locally and fill | | | | eyes - small, red-colored buds are one to two inches |
| in with more interesting, unusual types by ordering. | | | | below the soil's surface. Never cover eye by more |
| Peonies come in two varieties: tree and herbaceous. | | | | than a couple of inches of soil. Apply a low nitrogen |
| The Chinese have about 1,000 varieties of tree | | | | complete fertilizer such as 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 at the |
| peonies and 400 varieties of herbaceous peonies. | | | | rate of two to three pounds per 100 square feet in |
| The English also tinkered with peonies and introduced | | | | the spring when the stems are about 2 or 3 inches |
| nearly 300 varieties by the turn of the 19th century. | | | | high. Sink a stake behind the plant (less noticeable) |
| By planting early, midseason, and late varieties you | | | | and use stakes to support the larger varieties, |
| can extent your peony blooms for most of the | | | | particularly the double peony. In the fall, after a |
| summer. | | | | heavy frost, remove and destroy the stems of |
| Probably the most difficult part of growing peonies, | | | | garden peonies down to 3 inches from the soil |
| like many other perennials is the time it takes to | | | | surface to eliminate the possibility of the fungal |
| establish them in your garden. Most don’t | | | | diseases over wintering. |
| produce many flowers until the second or third year | | | | Take the time to seek out high quality peonies, |
| and should not be cut for indoor use until the third | | | | prepare your soil well, plant and enjoy years of fresh |
| year. Generally do not cut flowers from plants less | | | | colored flowers. As I have moved around, mostly in |
| than three years old and mature plants of five years | | | | mid-America, I have started peonies at my new |
| or more should be left with about 50% of its flowers | | | | residences frequently, always with great success. |
| intact. You should, however, remove the fading and | | | | Even without the extra care described above, one |
| dead flowers to prevent seed development which | | | | will usually have a fair amount of success. While |
| uses up food reserves. | | | | undoubtedly one of the most hardy and easy of the |
| Soil should be well-drained and excessive moisture | | | | perennials, peonies are most highly revered for their |
| can lead to the development of fungus. Peonies | | | | beauty. |