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 The peony’s sumptuous flowers and captivating
fragrance have been admired by generations of gardeners. While many
other plants come and go, peonies have staying power. The variety
‘Sarah Bernhardt’ was introduced in 1906 and has been popular ever
since. Its plush, pale pink flowers have silvery tips and open late
in the peony season.
To maximize your enjoyment, extend the peony season by growing an
assortment of early, mid and late-blooming varieties. Choose wisely
and it’s possible to have peonies in bloom for a month or more. If
you live in an area with relatively warm weather, plant more of the
early and midseason varieties so the plants have plenty of time to
display their blossoms before the weather gets hot.
Add variety to your peony display by including plants with different
flower styles. Options include single, anemone, semi-double, double
and bomb types. Herbaceous peonies also come in many beautiful
colors, including white, cream, coral, pink, rose and dark red.
Start the season off with a few of the earlier bloomers such as
Coral Charm, Buckeye Belle, Festiva Maxima, Bowl of Beauty, Black
Beauty, Purple Spider and Red Charm (longfield-gardens.com). Coral
Charm’s lightly fragrant flowers are a unique blend of coral and
cream. This semi double peony is the recipient of the American Peony
Society Gold Medal.
The large double ruby red flowers of Buckeye Belle are displayed on
compact plants that are the perfect size for perennial gardens.
Pairing this peony with the snowy-white flowers of Festiva Maxima is
a striking combination.
Transition into mid-season with the heirloom variety Red Charm. Its
long stems have few side buds, which makes it great for cutting. And
the rose-like fragrance perfumes gardens and bouquets. For a
completely different look, consider the fragrant, double bomb
flowers of Lady Liberty. Its frilly inner petals are cream and
apricot, and form a tight ball resting on a double row of flamingo
pink petals.
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Anemone-style peonies have frilly centers surrounded
by a single or double row of larger petals. The variety Sorbet
features layers of candy pink and cream petals. It is deliciously
fragrant, with sturdy stems that are excellent for cutting. Don’t
overlook other classic, mid-season bloomers like Duchess de Nemours,
Celebrity and Red Supreme.
Close out the peony season with the large, raspberry-red blossoms of
the classic French double peony Felix Crousse, and other time-tested
favorites such as Lady Alexandria Duff and the beloved Sarah
Bernhardt.
Peonies are known for their extravagant flowers, but the plants
themselves are almost as impressive. Leaves emerge in spring with a
tinge of red and reach a height of 3 feet within less than a month.
By the time the flower buds appear, the plants are the size of a
small shrub. After the flowers fade, the peony’s lush, deep green
leaves remain all season, providing a nice backdrop for nearby
blooms. As temperatures cool in fall, the foliage often displays a
nice reddish fall color.
Bare root peonies may be planted in spring or fall. After planting,
they will take some time to settle in. Young plants need 3 years or
more to reach full size, but after that, they will flower every year
for decades to come.
Melinda Myers has written numerous books, including Small Space
Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD
series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV &
radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for
Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Longfield Gardens
for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is
www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo credit: photo courtesy of
Longfield-Gardens.com] |
