PEONY FLOWER:

It’s good to find dependable items in life and in gardening. Peonies are at the top of the list in the world of plants. Few other plants bloom so consistently year after year with as little maintenance once established, and they are prized for their beauty, magnificent range of colours, and great resilience. Their enormous, magnificent blossoms fill beds and borders with vibrant splashes of colour, and their heady scent makes them fantastic cut flowers. Peonies are an excellent investment because they will give you years of lovely results.

When do peonies bloom?

As “perennials,” peonies have a lifespan of more than two years. Longer-lived biennials and annuals are contrasted by the name, as are plants with less woody growth from trees and shrubs.

Peonies grow and bloom throughout the spring and summer as herbaceous perennials. Every autumn and winter, they wither away before reviving from their rootstock in the spring. Tree Peonies, on the other hand, are a far more uncommon variety of peony that you haven’t seen before. These woody shrubs resemble rose bushes in growth and have enormous flowers supported by sturdy woody stalks. In fact, when Marco Polo came across a peony tree, he remarked that they resembled “roses as huge as cabbages.”

What shades are there in peonies?

Except for blue, peonies come in every colour. However, pink, white, and yellow are the most prevalent colours. The yellow cultivar has not been as well-liked in Australia as it has been in New York among flower designers.

Japanese peonies are a very distinctive kind that cannot be confused with any other! This lovely peony type has larger stamens and filaments that cluster in the centre, and as the flower blooms, its body splits into two distinct parts. A bowl-shaped group of guard petals surrounds an outwardly projecting centre made up of filaments and stamens. A Japanese peony frequently has different colours in the centre and around it, giving it a lovely two-toned appearance.

What size does a peony get?

Peonies have an AMAZING capacity for growth; their diameter can reach 10 inches. like cabbage-sized roses! Because their sturdy wooden stems can support the extra weight of the flower head, tree peonies typically produce larger flowers.

How long do peonies continue to bloom after they begin?

What we enjoy most about peonies is seeing their intricate and exceptionally huge blooms gently emerge from their tiny, tightly closed buds. How such a little bud can expand up with SO many petals is almost a mystery. Peonies will look stunning for up to 5-7 days if they are fresh and locally farmed. If you want these blossoms to stay a little longer, keep them in a cool place out of the sun, cut the stems, and keep the water in the vase refreshed every few days.

Can I plant peonies in my backyard?

Yes! Peonies may appear fragile and exquisite, but they are actually incredibly tough plants. As long as you reside in a sufficiently cool climate, they are simple to produce at home. They don’t require much maintenance and can endure quite severe winters. Once they are established in your yard, peonies will continue to produce lovely, new blooms every year for many years. Peony plants, like roses, can live a very long time and may even outlive you. In certain circumstances, peonies are reported to live up to 100 years.

For growing peonies at home, The Flower Expert offers the following helpful advice:

• Early autumn, or spring for peonies that have grown.
• Plant the tuber in a prepared bed and amend the soil with compost or peat moss.
• For each tuber, create a hole that is about 18 inches broad and 18 inches deep.
• The plants should be placed at least three feet away from one another. Soil should fill the hole about halfway.
• At this time, combine a few balanced fertilisers, like 5-10-5.
• The top eye of the garden tuber should be planted no deeper than two inches into the earth.
• A tuber that is buried too deeply will have trouble blossoming. Put some soil around the tuber and give it lots of water.
• The leftover soil is then added to the hole, and it is then tightly compacted.
• To calm the tuber, add more water.
• With 4-5 inches of soil covering the graft, plant a tree peony tuber.

Beautiful Peony Varieties:

Just a few of the many different peony cultivars are shown here. Peonies are frequently categorised based on flower types, including single, semi-double, double, bomb, and Japanese, as well as colour and height. To find out which types are ideal for your garden, consult nearby nursery centres.

FESTIVA MAXIMA is a fragrant, early-blooming, 24 to 30-inch peony that was created in 1851 and is a traditional favourite. The enormous, crimson-marked white double flowers are well-supported by sturdy stalks. 

REINE HORTENSE is a fragrant peony with enormous, double flowers that bloom in the middle of the season. It was first cultivated in 1857. The fluffy petals on the rose-pink flowers have notches and are silvered at the tips. The plant stands out in the flower border because of its sturdy stems and dark green foliage. 

GARDENIA  Large (8 to 10-inch) blush-white gardenia-shaped flowers on sturdy 34-inch long stems are produced by the GARDENIA plant. This has a pleasant scent and blooms from early to mid-season. 

AURORA SUNRISE – The densely packed golden core of this peony draws attention to the clear, brilliant pink Japanese-style blossom. It is a 30-inch variety that was created for strong stems and a commanding appearance in the garden. 

CORAL SUPREME – The magnificent salmon-coral flowers on this 36-inch semi-double peony appear early in the growing season. The plant’s distinctive cup-shaped blossoms are the result of nearly three decades of breeding.

PETTICOAT FLOUNCE – This peony truly lives up to its name with exquisite soft pink “bomb”-shaped flowers tinged with milky white and hints of scarlet. It blooms early in the season, just in time to enjoy its stunning fresh-cut flowers in an arrangement. It is a wonderful cut flower with rich, deep green foliage growing to 24′. 

HESPERUS is a 3 to 5-foot-tall tree peony that blooms in the middle of the season with solitary dusty rose flowers that have undertones of yellow and deep rose veins. The flowers have crinkled petals with purple inner flares and tiny golden stamens notched into them. 

RED EMPEROR – Very huge, Japanese-style blooms that bloom in the middle of the season are vivid red with full, pale centres, creating a spectacular show. Although the vibrant colour fades, it only adds to the intrigue of this spectacular bloom. reaches a 30-inch height. 

SEA SHELL, a Gold Medal Winner and one of the greatest peonies for the South, is the focal point of any garden. The single, vibrant pink blossom with a core of vivid yellow stamens. This 36-foot peony blooms in the middle of the season and retains its blossoms high on sturdy stalks. 

SARAH BERNHARDT – Despite being released in 1906, almost a century ago, this peony is still a fan favourite. This fragrant mid- to late-season bloomer features a double flower in rich rose pink with petals bordered in a slightly brighter colour as the focal point.