Tag Archives: #peoniesuk

Peony of the Month – ‘Nymphe’

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This isn’t the first time nymphs have been connected to peonies.

You may be familiar with the one Greek myth about a beautiful nymph named Paeonia that Apollo falls for. This captures Aphrodite’s attention of course and the little nymph becomes embarrassed, turning bright red. So Aphrodite decides it’s only logical to turn her into a red peony.

Because, why not?

And that is how peonies came to symbolize bashfulness.

But there’s nothing to be bashful about when it comes to this herbaceous beauty. A lovely single with its large pale pink/nude flowers and contrasting golden stamens, it is one of the prettiest mid season bloomers and recently took home an AGM which means it will do exceptionally well in your UK garden.

And it’s a winner with the bees too!

Peonies for Pollinators

Peonies such as ‘Nymphe’ that have single, open-shaped flowers are irresistible to pollinators. Pollen is prized as it’s a protein source for bees so they will work hard to get it. However, if they can conserve their energy in this process, they will. So they will usually avoid flowers with many layers of petals they have to wiggle through. That’s why the easily available, pollen-laden stamens in flowers shaped like ‘Nymphe’ are easy pickings for those busy honey bees.

Peonies are a bit like lollipops for bees as they have what is called ‘extrafloral nectaries’. This means that the nectar becomes available for harvesting at the bud stage already. So this is another reason bees really like peonies - they don’t have to wait for them to bloom to start collecting that nectar!

Clearly, patience isn’t high up on the priority list for pollinators.

Also, if you’ve ever wondered why there are so many ants on your peony buds it’s because they also like those nectary lollipops. And you won’t have to worry that they are damaging your buds. In fact, they are helpful to them as their presence wards off other insects that would prevent them from blooming. So don’t get rid of them! Ants and peonies are firm friends.

There is a popular line of thought that if you don’t have ants on your peonies they won’t open, as the ants make little incisions on the bud whilst harvesting the nectar which enables the bud to open.

This is not true. As mentioned before, it is more a case of the ants warding off other more harmful floral-feeding critters that helps the blooming to be more successful.

More reasons to love those bees and ants!

Gardening for Insects

With the growing awareness around the importance of pollinators in the garden there has been a surge of gardeners being more intentional about creating environments that are insect friendly.

And as we saw at the Chelsea Show this year, it doesn’t matter if your space is limited. You can plant things that will encourage a symbiotic eco system no matter how little space you have.

Balconies, window boxes and even one small piece of wall with containers on can become a playground for all sorts of creatures.

Humans included!

 

Peony Myths Debunked – Part 1

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With all the fake news we find online these days it’s no wonder that peonies also have some “interesting” ideas floating around about them.

In this two-part series we’ll be debunking some of these myths.

Peonies Are Difficult to Grow

Peonies are actually quite easy to grow if a few simple rules are followed:

  • buy a well-established, mature plant
  • plant in a sunny/part-shaded and sheltered position
  • make sure whatever type of soil it is that it is free-draining
  • plant herbaceous and intersectionals with the crown no more 2.5cm below the surface
  • water consistently while buds are forming in spring
  • don’t over-water as peonies don’t like to have soggy ‘feet’ or roots
  • mulch, but not too much
  • feed once a year in the spring/autumn/summer
  • cut back herbaceous and intersectional peonies in autumn
  • prune tree peonies

 

Peonies Don't Like Cold Weather

Will your peony endure a snowy winter? Even though they may look delicate, they are hardy down to -25C and have been growing for many generations in parts of China, Japan, North America, Europe and Alaska where it is very cold.

Peonies need the colder weather to hibernate and get to work on new buds for Spring time. In fact, many growers have said that the colder the winter the better the blooms will be the following season.

The only time your peony may take a bit of strain is if there is a late frost, as it can damage the leaves. However, your peony won’t be beyond repair and will likely be back to its old self by the next season.

Peonies Only Grow in Certain Types of Soil

Peonies will be happy in any type of soil. The only necessity, no matter what soil you have, is that it is free draining.

Even if it is clay! Yes, clay!

That said, it can be a bit tricky to ensure clay soil drains well. If it is very hard-packed clay you’ll want to mix in some sand or stones before planting.

Specialist peony fertiliser will be a welcome addition to the soil when planting a peony in your garden for the first time. This will enrich the root growth in the first season.

Peonies Hate Moving

Who likes change? Ok, ok, some of us do. But most human, animal and plant beings are creatures of habit (or habitat) and will protest at being uprooted from their homes.

However, contrary to popular opinion peonies really don’t mind being moved. They just need to be handled correctly.

Here are some tips:

  • autumn after cutting back/pruning is the best time to move
  • ensure eyes (pink buds) on the roots are not damaged in the process
  • don’t over-mulch/cover them with too much soil
  • herbaceous and intersectional – crown (top of the plant) no more than about 2.5-5cm below surface
  • grafted tree peonies – graft union no more than about 10-15cm below surface

 

Peonies Don't Last Long

Absolutely untrue! In fact, you may need to leave them in your will as some have been known to live on happily for more than 90 years!

Because peonies take a while to mature, flowering from around 3-5 years old, some may have dug up their peonies prematurely thinking they’re dead.

This is why it’s best to buy your peony at flowering maturity from a reputable nursery so you can enjoy flowers every year from year one.

 

And that’s all for now! We hope this has helped you come around to the idea of adopting a peony.

Look out for part 2 of this series for more peony myth debunking...

Peony of the Month – ‘Red Charm’

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What about a bit of red to spice your Spring garden up a bit?

It’s not every day you come across a red as true as the one worn by ‘Red Charm’. Like that Little Red Riding Hood in the dark forest, ‘Red Charm’ stands out in the garden and is very attractive to visitors.

Be they wolf, butterfly or human…

A cross of the well-known P. ‘Rubra Plena’ it was registered by Glasscock in 1944 and became an APS Gold Medal winner in 1956.

And 65 years later it’s still going strong... The wonder of peonies! We can’t gush enough about these plants. They really are our favourite.

‘Red Charm’ is an indulgent, herbaceous perennial that is early flowering and sturdy. It produces lots of deep, ruby red cup-shaped flowers with ruffled centres that keep expanding as the flower opens. The flowers are bomb-shaped and very large, sometimes reaching up to 20cm across. Although it opens a scarlet red colour, as the flower matures it becomes darker and darker ending up a deep plum or purple.

Once established it can reach up to 90cm in height and its bushy growth habit and fine, dark green leaves remain lovely into Autumn. This makes ‘Red Charm’ a great choice if you would like to create a small hedge or need some structure along a pathway. You could also pop it in a flower bed with a mix of other perennials for a striking display.

It’s likely that you will enjoy having this reliable and vigorous beauty in your garden so much that you will come to depend on being dazzled by its beautiful flower and foliage displays year after year.

This exquisite lady in red with its substantial, waxy-textured petals and strong stems makes an excellent, long-lasting cut flower and has a pleasing, subtle fragrance.

If you’d like to add ‘Red Charm’ to your collection, here are some guidelines for planting this herbaceous peony:

  • Plant in full sun or part shade in a sheltered position
  • Any fertile soil will do, as long as it is free draining
  • Plant with the crown (top of the root) no more than 5cm below the ground. With container grown plants, simply plant them at the same level they are in the pot they arrive in
  • Don’t bury it with mulch. Peonies like organic matter but don’t mulch over the crown as it might not flower the next Spring
  • Once you are ready to plant your peony in the garden, start by digging a hole twice as big as the root ball of the plant and put some organic matter or compost at the bottom of the hole. It is often a good idea to mix some fertiliser (such as our Professional Peony Feed) with the compost
  • Place your peony in the centre of the hole, ensuring that the crown is level with or just below the surface level, backfill with compost and soil and firm into place. Water well but don’t over-water; remember that the root will rot if it gets too wet
  • Peonies will also be happily planted in a container so you can follow the same process, just make sure you feed your container grown peonies once a year to make sure they have enough nutrients

 

And there you go!

In this case, red means ‘go’!

Grow peony grow!