Planting peonies for beautiful blooms

Loved for their luxurious flowers in early to mid-summer, fabulous fragrances and assortment of colours, peonies are really easy to grow. They’re the perfect plant for beginners – the secret is all in the planting. Plant your peony correctly and you’ll be rewarded with decades of glorious flowers on a very low-maintenance plant. Plus, they’re rarely troubled by slugs, snails, rabbits or deer.

Choosing your peony

There are literally thousands of varieties of peonies, flowering from mid-April until early July, and in the widest possible colour range. The first challenge is to choose which peony to grow. If you have a balcony or smaller garden, you can grow patio or intersectional peonies in containers.

Herbaceous peonies generally don’t flower reliably until they are about five years old and for tree peonies it can be a couple of years more. Whichever peony you choose, buy a well-established plant to ensure you get off to the best possible start.

Herbaceous peony, Paeonia lactiflora ‘Dinner Plate’

Intersectional peony, Paeonia ‘Sonoma Kaleidoscope’

Location, location, location

Peonies will thrive in full sun or part shade. If possible plant in a sheltered position, although the intersectional hybrids will tolerate a more exposed location.

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

compost

Planting depth

The most important thing to remember when planting herbaceous and intersectional peonies is not to plant them too deep in the soil. The crown should be planted no more than 2.5–5cm below the surface. If planted too deeply, your peony will have marvellous foliage but will not flower. Remember to be careful when

Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

Caring for your peony

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’

Peonies are really low-maintenance plants and require very little care once planted. Typically peonies will live for decades in the garden (some will live for more than 100 years), blooming more every year. Some of the taller varieties, such as ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ may require a plant support and you should place your plant support over the peony in the early spring. In the autumn remember to cut back the dead foliage to the ground, keeping the plant tidy ready for it to shoot again the following spring.

Top tips for growing peonies

1. Buy a well-established plant
2. Plant in a sunny or part shade position
3. Plant in any soil that is free-draining
4. Plant at the correct depth (for herbaceous peonies this means 2.5–5cm below the surface)
5. Feed once a year with a slow-release and well-balanced feed
6. Cut back dead foliage in the autumn, ready for the plant to shoot the following year

Primrose Hall Peonies