Peonies Are Reliable Beauties

I’ve been having an affair with peonies for the past three decades, and they’re quite something.

In fact, I now grow only four roses due to their insect, disease and hardiness problems and have leaned toward peonies. Yes, peonies have a much shorter blooming season (six weeks with some planning) but the deer don’t touch them, they are virtually insect free and the few diseases that can occasionally show up are easily controlled. Best of all, though, they are reliable and if properly planted may bloom in the same spot for decades — that’s right, decades. They begin blooming out here shortly.

To tempt you more, they can be planted in the spring (as potted plants) or in the fall as roots. But wait, there’s more. We are now growing a peony that does best in shade and in the woodland garden. A shade-tolerant peony? Yes, this relatively new import is the Japanese wood peony or Paeonia japonica. If you had some, they’d be blooming in your woodlands right now, before any of the other peonies.

This plant’s name is derived from Paeon, a mythical physician who was turned into the flower by the god Pluto to save him from death at the hands of his teacher, the physician Aesculapius, who was jealous of his healing powers.

It was placed by the ancients among the wonders of the vegetative creation, possessing the power to relieve headaches, cure convulsions, prevent nightmares and remove obstructions from the liver. Planted by the doorsteps, it kept away evil spirits. A small piece of root worn around the neck protected the wearer from all kinds of enchantments, and we all know that it should never be dug in the daytime or a green woodpecker will peck out the eyes of the digger. So goes the legend, at any rate, of the magnificent peony.

Most gardeners know the peony as a perennial that dies back to the ground each fall, grudgingly giving up its foliage, and some are aware that there is a shrubby form known as the tree peony, but in fact the genus is divided into three sections: First is the Moutan, which includes the tree peony that is native to China and Tibet. Second is the Onaepia, which includes two species native to California and Washington at elevations up to 4,000 feet. Third is the Paeon, which includes all the herbaceous species found in Europe, Africa and Asia (including the fern-leaf variety). One in this group is Mlokosewitschii, a yellow-flowered variety. Someone gave me some seed of this one that I began trying to germinate in 1991. Two of them sprouted two years later and now, some 30 years later, I have a plant about 3 feet tall that blooms with regularity each year. All from a seed and a few years of patience.

Intersectional peonies, also known as Itoh peonies, are crosses between the herbaceous types and the tree types. They tend to be more winter stable than the tree types and are less susceptible to hot and humid weather.

But really, you don’t need to grow your peonies from seed (unless your slightly insane like me) because growing these plants from roots is so simple. You can buy immature rootstock with one or two “bud eyes” that may flower in a year or two or you can buy potted roots that are budded and for sale in garden centers now. The potted peonies range in price from $15 to over $100 each.

Young roots or root divisions, which are best planted in late summer into early fall, may run only $5 and up. For collectors there are varieties that will run more than several hundred dollars each.

The glory of this plant, though, is that if properly planted, once established, it will bloom reliably in the same spot for years and years. On the other hand, if planted too deep (improperly) it will never flower until lifted and reset at the proper depth.

Wet springs can also cause problems as a disease known as Botrytis, a fungus, can cause a sudden and deadly wilt of the emerging shoots and later can result in moldy buds that drop to the ground. Good garden practices such as cleaning up plant debris in the fall and not using mulches, especially manure mulches, will go a long way to preventing the problem. And of course, there are fungicides, if you must.

But again, I must stress that there are few garden plants that can provide you with such a lush and lavish and heavenly scented display that is absolutely sensuous. From the heady scents that are the essence of spring to the water-colored display of hues and texture, the peony has little competition. In fact, if you’re tired of roses and want to grow a plant that has substantially fewer bug and disease problems and can provide you with weeks and weeks of cuts that will blow away the best of your weekend guests, than this is your plant.

In fact, you may be lucky enough to find someone who has a peony bed that needs some thinning. Definitely volunteer. This is done in late summer to early fall, from late August to early October. The secret is to dig (with a garden fork and not a shovel) the root area deeper and wider than seems necessary. Potted peonies can be planted at any time, but stay away from the dregs and seconds that you may find as “bargains” in late June or July, unless they look extraordinary. Experienced gardeners can move peonies without transplant shock. First-timers may need some neighborly advice or a couple of years of trial and error.

Careful ground preparation is essential, and while the roots are buried somewhat shallow, the planting hole should actually be at least 18 inches deep and as wide. Heavy soil should be avoided to minimize the chance of rotting, and the planting hole should be filled with a mixture that includes a blend of well-rotted horse or cow manure, compost, peat moss and humus. The sand is a given.

The roots are only planted about 2 inches below the soil surface, no more. If you’re getting roots from a friend or a neighbor, try to find pieces that are 4 to 8 inches long with three to six bud eyes on the root. You’ll know a bud eye when you see one. Make sure you plant the root right side up and horizontally as opposed to vertically or at a very slight angle downward with the finer parts of the root mass being planted deeper. The eyes are the parts that should only be 2 inches below the surface.

Among the herbaceous peonies you’ll find inexpensive, run-of-the-mill varieties like Shirley Temple, Sarah Bernhardt and Festiva Maxima in most garden shops while the better garden centers will offer a wider selection at higher prices. The three noted above are great starter plants if you’re new to peonies. For the best selections, you’ll need to use a mail-order source like Peonys Envy (peonysenvy.com) in New Jersey. This is a wonderful nursery that has a great online presence as well as a retail nursery in Bernardsville, New Jersey, and nearly endless online resources. If you check their website you can see what’s in bloom and when. Add about 10 days to two weeks, and you’ll know when these varieties will bloom out here. They ship roots both spring and fall, and if you ever have the chance to hear the owner, Kathleen Gagan, give a talk you’ll marvel at her knowledge and excitement about this plant.

Years ago, the American Peony Society evaluated and gave awards to the following herbaceous varieties, so they come highly recommended: Bowl of Cream (white, semi-double, with blooms 8 inches across), Elsa Sass (pure white, camellia-like double, fragrant), Nick Shaylor (light pink, double) and Sea Shell (warm pink, single, artistic).

As for the tree types they recommend: High Noon (lemon yellow with raspberry flares), Joseph Rock (white with purple flares, fluffy semi-double) and Renown (copper red). Tree peonies are hard to find and somewhat rare these days as they are no longer imported.

You will also find that there are early-, mid- and late-season peonies, and if you use a selection of these your blooming time may well run for six weeks (May into June) but the later bloomers seem to be hard to find. Catalogs will list the plants by their blooming time so keep this in mind.

Once you get your plants established, you’ll be amazed at the blooms and how versatile they are in the garden or in the vase. In fact, some peony fanciers’ chief complaints are about the size of the flower because some can get so large and heavy that they tend to slump or “sulk.” That’s when we go back to the original proposition: to stake, tie or hoop. In my professional opinion, all of the above. But whatever method you use, get it done early, before the plants reach mature height and the flowers open.

Two hints: If you want really large, exhibition-sized flowers, remove the side buds in early May as soon as they appear. This pushes all the plant’s energy into producing one huge flower instead of three smaller ones. There is also a way to keep the flowers blooming for as long as 30 days after the blooming season. The flower stalks are cut early in the morning when the bud is fully ripe but not yet open. Remove all the foliage from the shoot and flame or sear the end. Store the budded stems in a wine cellar, wine cooler or non-frost-free refrigerator (cold and humid is the trick) for up to 30 days. When you want blooms take the stems out, place in a vase with cold or iced water. Place them in a bright cool spot out of the sunlight and in two to three days, voila. Keep growing.