A toast to the peony

Cultivated and bred for more than 4,000 years in Asia, the glorious peony has been called the flower of the Emperor. Today, peonies have symbolic significance in many cultures and the beauty of its flowers have been immortalized in works of art.

Guaranteed to bring early summer magic to your garden, peonies are spectacular flowers available in every colour except blue. Blousy, frothy and unashamedly romantic – peonies will lift a border with their bowl-shaped blooms. They’re a perfect focal point for late spring and early summer borders. In fact, by combining different peony varieties in a border, you could extend the flowering season from late April up until June. Peonies can be simple semi-double or double-flowering

Perennials are any plant living for at least three years. The term is also commonly used for herbaceous perennials which grow for many years (To compare: annual = one year, biennial = two years).

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl of Beauty’ 

Peonies in their beauty and ease are my absolute favourites and I think they are suitable for every garden.

Peonies in the border

It’s simple to create an easy-to-maintain and long-flowering border using peonies. There are just three rules to remember:

1. Don’t plant too deep
2. Choose the sunniest spot in the garden
3. A free-draining soil not prone to water logging is perfect

Paeonia lactiflora  ‘Festiva Maxima’

Paeonia lactiflora  ‘Edulis Superba’

The perfect companions

Peonies with Campanula persicifolia

Digitalis purpurea with peonies

These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes.

bulbs

A few favourites

Peonies in The Roots in Finland Kyrö Garden, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019

At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019, I used Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl of Love’ as an eye-catcher in the front border area in The Roots in Finland Kyrö Garden. This beautiful bloom has vibrant pink petals and a particularly beautiful scent. Another classic bloom created in the 1850s has elegant white flowers with flecks of crimson Paeonia lactiflora ‘Festiva Maxima’ and deserves its place in the garden. 

Roslings Manor Gardens