Peonies (Paeonia)

When the peonies bloom it pours. That has been so true this year with a cold and very wet spring. We had two lovely peony bushes at my childhood home. I loved the beautiful showy flowers so when we bought out first house I really wanted to plant peonies. What stopped me was remembering the ants that liked to gather on the peony buds. An old wives tale says that peonies need ants for the blooms to open but this is a myth. The ants are there to feed on the nectar and will seldom stay after the buds open.

This is the first house that I've had peony bushes. One is a gorgeous pinky white and the other a deep purply pink. Both are very fragrant! They are away from the house so as to not encourage ants indoors. For the most part there is very little maintenance for peonies but they reward you with beautiful, showy, fragrant blooms that can be cut and brought indoors. If doing this and you are concerned there may be ants in the blooms, simply soak the blooms in water for 5 minutes. This will drive out any ants without harming the blooms.

I've noticed two problems with my peonies. First we have been experiencing a lot of heavy rain so that has caused the peony bushes to bend over. They really aren't a stand up type of bush but then it could be where they are planted or just rain damage. Second, there has been a little leaf damage due to slugs. Other than that the peonies are performing nicely. They tend to like cooler climates for best growth.

Peonies should be planted in a somewhat protected location from strong winds, in full sun or light shade preferably with a northern exposure. Fertilize with a 5 - 10 - 10 in the spring. Fertilizing with a higher nitrogen content fertilizer with cause weakened stems and reduced blooming. Peonies bloom late May to mid-June and may not look the best in the fall. Disbudding can encourage larger blooms. To do this remove all buds but the terminal one as soon as buds are visible. Flowers should be removed as they fade just below the flower to prevent seed development. Keep watered and fertilized for best blooms but don't mulch for winter. The soil should be well-drained to prevent root rot. Peonies can be staked to improve the look of the bush but it really isn't necessary. Bushes can be transplanted in the fall but do not plant them too deep. Add 1/4 c of 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer to the bottom of the hole but not in the soil that will surround the roots. They will take awhile to re-establish after transplanting. Bushes can be divided as well in the fall with more success.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2007