PEONY POWER

They're a set-and-forget shrub in terms of care, but you'll have these unforgettable blooms bursting out for the next 100 years!

- MELISSA KING

1 BRING THEM INDOORS

The vase life of peonies is sweet but short - only about five days. To make them last longer, put them in a cool room and away from direct sunlight. Also refresh the water and trim the stems daily.

Fluffy and fabulous on sunny days, the flowers close at night and on overcast days.

Fab and food-safe, peonies and petals make gorgeous cake decos - fresh or crystallised.

Want romance and charm in your life? Want the ruffles and double ruffles of sensuous and voluptuous blooms that light up your life? Want pinks that defy the colour chart - from the soulful and sultry to the perky and perfect? If your answer is yes, then get digging now - it's time to plant an ugly, bare-root peony and give it three months of frost, putting you on the path to a regular late spring-early summer display of these exquisite flowers. The great thing is they are resilient, sturdy and one of the longest-lived perennials you can plant in your garden.

TYPES OF PEONY

1 THE HERBACEOUS PEONY

is the most common kind found in our gardens. This perennial is slow-growing, but eventually forms a substantial bush about 90H by 50cm W. The stems retreat in winter.

2 THE TREE PEONY

is more of a shrub than a tree because of its multiple stems. It grows to more than 2m and has a big visual impact. Plant as a specimen in your garden, to give it room to spread and let its blooms shine without competition.

3 THE ITOH PEONY

is a hybrid of the herbaceous and tree peonies. The huge blooms flower over a longer period, and it has the foliage of the tree peony but dies back to the ground like a herbaceous peony in winter. Its petals are often two-toned.

Peonies look like rose bushes, except for their lush, deeply lobed foliage.

HOW TO GROW