My friend Jeanette — Author of article
I have a dear and special friend Jeanette, who is a wealth of information about gardening. I have learned so much from her over the years. Jeanette wrote the following article. (Below) Read more about Jeanette >
by Jeanette Mac Kenzie
For thousands of years peonies have been cultivated in China & Japan, where some of the finest varieties come from. These hardy perennials bloom in the spring and early summer in every shade except blue. I wouldn’t be surprised if hybridizers aren’t working on that color. Peonies can stand the summer heat but need a period of chilling which our climate amply provides. (New England) Peony plants are very long lived some lasting up to 100 years.
As peonies symbolize “good fortune” and “happy marriage” they are a popular flower for weddings and anniversaries with their sweet scent. In Victorian times using the Language of Flowers they represented bashfulness.
Unfortunately their bloom season is less than 2 weeks. There is a new industry of growing peonies in Alaska as they are harvested in July and Aug when ours have all gone by. Thus cut peony blooms can be ordered over a longer time period.
Autumn is the time of the year to plant and/or divide peonies. Unlike most other perennials, peonies don’t need periodic division. Well then, why am I telling you this is the time to divide them! The only way to propagate a named variety of peony is by plant division. Growing from seed can take up to 5 years to get flowers but they won’t be like the parent plant. If you already have some peony plants that you like, why not divide them rather than buying more?
If you are going to dig and divide first cut the foliage back to an inch or so. Carefully dig up the whole root system with a spading fork. Shake or gently hose off the soil so the small pink buds at the crown of the root system are visible. These buds are the beginning of next year’s growth. Cut through the root system with a sharp knife, dividing the peony plant with 3-5 buds in each division. The roots them selves resemble carrots.
In a sunny area, with well drained, soil, dig a hole about 1 ft. deep and 2 feet wide. Prepare it by adding a light dusting of bone meal, limestone and either some well-aged manure or compost in the bottom of the hole.
Pay close attention to this detail. Plant the peony division so that the buds are only 2 inches below the surface of the soil. This 2-inch depth is critical – if planted deeper than this, the plant WILL NOT BLOSSOM. If you have peonies that haven’t bloomed in a long time this could be the problem or the plant isn’t growing in full sun.
For an established peony plant, you don’t plan on dividing don’t cut the foliage until late fall as it will continue to build strength for the next year.
For you floral arrangers, I have found that peony leaves are great as fillers for flower arrangements as they last a long time when cut.
Don’t worry if you see ants all over the flower buds. They are just after the sweet nectar that forms around the outside of the buds. Ants don’t do any harm to the plant.
If I have motivated you to considering dividing your peony plants do it before early Oct. so the roots have a chance to get established before the ground freezes. Once the ground does freeze, for the first winter, add a few inches of mulch but be sure to remove it in early spring.
“Now get out in your gardens to dig,divide, and plant those peony roots.”
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Another article on Peony growing
“How to plant and grow peonies from our bare-root divisions:”
Third Branch Flower, Roxbury Vermont
They have a very nice article “How to plant and grow peonies from our bare-root divisions:” on Third Branch Planting Info >
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Also see heartwindnest Peony Resources for buying stands, roots, and more ….
Read more about my friend Jeanette >
