Peonies
by: Christy Lewis

It's Peony time again! These extravagant blossoms are the shining stars of this late spring-early summer season. I remember how my grandparents had a row of these classic perennials out along the driveway of their rural dairy farm, and how we would eagerly gather armloads of those fragrant flowers, and fill each room of the house with overflowing peony bouquets.

Peonies also make excellent garden plants. The flowers come in a variety of forms, both single and double, in mouth-watering shades of red, pink, rose, and white. They combine beautifully with Siberian Iris, Bearded Iris, Oriental Poppies, Dianthus, and Hardy Geraniums.

After blooming, the shrublike form and shiny, clean foliage of the peony plant makes a fine backdrop for other plants, and adds nice structure to the border.

Peonies are exceptionally long-lived and low maintenance perennials. With a little care in planting, you will be rewarded with a lifetime of flowers.

Choose your planting site carefully. Peonies do best in full sun, although they will tolerate a little afternoon shade. Plant each clump at least three feet from other plants to allow for its mature size and to reduce competition for moisture and nutrients.

A loose, loamy garden soil is best, although your peony will be somewhat forgiving if your soil is not ideal. Dig a hole twice as large as necessary to accomodate the root system, and at least 10" deep. Incorporate compost into the planting bed if your soil is on the lean side.

Planting depth is very important. Look carefully at your plant. Near the top of the root system, where roots meet stems, you should see small growth buds, sometimes referred to as "eyes".  The buds should be planted two inches below the soil line, no deeper! If a peony doesn't bloom, it is very often because these buds are buried too deeply.

Evenly moist soil is ideal, although, once again, the peony will do fine with less than ideal conditions. Just be sure to keep your plant well watered until it is established. After the plant is established, it will withstand all but the most prolonged drought without supplemental watering.

It would be a good idea to mulch the plant its first winter to protect it from heaving. After that, you could apply a winter mulch if it makes you happy, but the venerable peony is perfectly hardy without it.

An annual light feeding will keep your peony blooming at its best. In early spring, apply a granular 10-10-10 around the perimeter of the plant, and mulch with compost or other organic mulch.

All double-flowered varieties, and some taller single varieties will need staking to keep them from ending up face down in the dirt. A metal "peony hoop" is easiest, just be sure to install it while the plant is still short. It can be very awkward to try and stuff three-foot stems through the rings of your peony hoops. Believe me, I've tried.

After blooming, cut off the developing seedpods. This keeps the plant from diverting its energy into producing seeds, and also makes the plant look tidier. In late fall, simply cut off the frost-killed top growth an inch or two above ground level, and you're done for the season.

Dividing is not necessary for the health of the plants. You may, however, divide your peony if you want extra plants. This is best accomplished in late summer and fall.

While the big, double "bomb"-type of peony flower is what most of us think of when we think peony, don't neglect to consider the elegant single forms whe choosing varieties for your garden. In addition to their elegance, they need less staking than their heavy-headed double sisters.

My favorite single-flowered peony is the appropriately named 'Seashell'. The richly colored pink petals surround a yellow center, and the plant itself is wonderfully upright in form. 

'Bowl of Beauty' is another classic pink single, her deep rose petals accented by a fluffy center of creamy yellow stamens. Likewise, 'Bowl of Cream' shows off large, bowl-shaped single blossoms of rich, creamy white.

If you would like a red single, try 'Scarlett O'Hara'.  A vibrant, fiery red swirl of petals surrounds a golden center. This is a knockout in the garden! If nothing but the old-fashioned double peony will suit you, there are many tried-and-true varieties to choose from, along with new and fancy hybrids, of course.

The best known and most easily available of the classic double varieties include 'Festiva Maxima', that big, fragrant white peony, her petals often flecked with splashes of rose. This variety has been a best-seller for generations. 'Karl Rosenfield' is probably the the most popular red double of all time, the sturdy stems bearing large flowers of velvety crimson. The standard-bearer of pink doubles is 'Sarah Bernhardt', a richly fragrant and floriferous variety of deep seashell pink. She was first available to gardeners in 1906, and continues to be a bestseller among peonies.

These peonies are readily available locally. Unusual varieties can be tracked down at specialty perennial nurseries and mail-order companies.

Truly, for such a small investment of your time now, you can be richly rewarded for years to come with armloads of cut flowers for your own bouquets. Just perfect for gracing a bridal shower, wedding, or graduation party!