AS spring changes to summer, herbaceous peonies hold us spellbound with their sumptuous, usually fragrant blooms, held on mature, well-grown plants. The showy doubles are like big frothy desserts, with names to match like ‘Peaches and Cream’, ‘Raspberry Sundae’ and ‘Pink Parfait’. Singles and semi-doubles are great for pollinating insects and top-notch as cut blooms.
It’s not all about flowers, either, as glowing pinkish-red new growth complements spring bulbs, and peony buds are bewitching, especially when they split to reveal the colors inside. Flowers demand to be visited daily, as their shapes and shades change with maturity, and after flowering many peonies produce structural seed pods and a blush of red leaf tints in autumn.
Three basic types
Garden peonies divide into three basic types. Tree peonies are deciduous, maintain a woody structure above ground, and are spring flowering with an awesome color range. Herbaceous peonies (most cultivars of Paeonia lactiflora) die back in autumn, to a crown just below ground level and grow again every spring. A relatively new group, called Intersectional or Itoh peonies (after Toichi Itoh, who launched their breeding in 1948), are a cross between tree and herbaceous peonies.
Compact and floriferous
Denne historien er fra October 30, 2021-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 30, 2021-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters