Planting your tree Peony

Planting a tree peony is an exciting endeavor for any gardener. Tree peonies are woody plants that can grow up to six feet tall and produce stunningly beautiful flowers in the spring.

To plant a tree peony, first choose a location with well-draining soil and partial to full sunlight.

Dig a hole deep enough to accommodate the roots and add compost or other organic matter to enrich the soil. Carefully place the tree peony in the hole, making sure the crown of the plant is just under the soil surface.

Cover the roots with soil and water thoroughly. Tree peonies require minimal maintenance, but patience is needed as they can take a few years to become established and produce their showy blooms.

With proper care, planting a tree peony is a rewarding investment that will bring beauty and delight to any garden for years to come.

Some tree Peonies are grafted on a herbaceous root stock, making this a bit more tricky to get this right.

In this case, the plants crown can be planted slightly deeper to prevent the grafted root stock to set shoots. around 10cm underneath the soil surface. Please note, that not all Tree peonies are grafted.

Planting your Intersectional Peonies

With Intersectional Peonies, which is a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies, you can follow the same growing instructions as with the herbaceous peonies. But the main thing with these are that you are able to plant them slightly deeper into the ground. So instead of Planting them with the eyes just underneath the surface, you can plant them around 5cm+ underneath the surface.

All other growing aspects are the same with these beauties.

Growing your Herbaceous Peonies

Most of our Herbaceous peonies are grown in 4-Litre deep pots with some of the larger rooted varieties as well as Itoh and tree peonies are in 5-10 liter pots. But when we send out Bare Root Peonies, they are still to be planted in the ground following the steps listed below

# Planting Bare Root Peonies

Bare root peonies are a popular choice among gardeners because they are a cost-effective way to establish peonies in the garden compared to potted plants. It's important to plant bare root peonies in the right way to ensure they will thrive and produce beautiful blooms.

## Step 1: Preparing the Soil

Peonies thrive in well-drained, fertile soil with a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0. Before planting, amend the soil with organic matter like compost or aged manure to ensure proper drainage and nutrient availability. Remove any weeds or debris from the area where the peonies will be planted.

## Step 2: Soaking the Roots

Bare root peonies should be soaked in water for several hours before planting to re-hydrate them and help initiate growth. Place the roots in a bucket of room temperature water, making sure they are fully submerged.

## Step 3: Digging a Hole

Dig a hole that is deep enough to accommodate the peony's roots. The hole should be about 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. Create a cone-shaped mound in the bottom of the hole to support the roots.

## Step 4: Planting the Peony

Place the peony on the mound in the center of the hole with the eyes, or small buds, facing up. The eyes should be buried no more than two inches below the soil surface.

## Step 5: Back-filling the Hole

Fill the hole with soil until it is level with the surrounding soil. Gently firm the soil around the roots to eliminate any air pockets. Water thoroughly to settle the soil.

## Step 6: Mulching

Spread a layer of mulch around the base of the peony to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Keep the mulch two inches away from the stem to prevent rotting.

## Step 7: Watering and Maintenance

Water the peony regularly, especially during dry spells, to keep the soil evenly moist. Fertilize with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in the spring. In the fall, cut back the foliage to the ground and discard any debris to prevent disease.

First-year flowers will be much smaller than normal as the plant is building up its strength. Deadhead all buds after flowering to channel the energy into new growth, also if it is a variety that produced side shoots, these will follow on after the main flower and the blooms are usually smaller. So with a little extra care and attention, your peony will get off to a flying start to becoming a garden treasure.

Best Scented Peonies

Peonies are known for their showy blooms but did you know that they also offer a delightful scent? Among the various peony varieties, some are known for their exceptional fragrance. The best scented peonies are the ones that offer a beautiful aroma that can fill a room. The 'Festiva Maxima' peony, with its pure white blooms and strong rose-like scent, is one such example. Another favorite is the 'Sarah Bernhardt' peony, which has a soft pink color and a sweet, floral fragrance. Additionally, the 'Coral Sunset' peony offers a unique spicy scent that is both intense and unusual. Overall, scented peonies not only add visual beauty but also offer a wonderful olfactory experience.

Albert Crousse

Alertie

Alexander Fleming

Alice Harding

Amabilis

Amelia Olson

Angel Cheeks

Ann Berry Cousins

Ann Cousins

Avalanche

Baroness Schroeder

Barrington Belle

Bartzella

Belleville

Best Man

Bev

Big Ben

Blaze

Blushing Princess

Bouchela

Boule de neige

Bouquet Perfect

Bowl of Beauty

Bowl of Cream

Bowl of Love

Bridal Icing

Bridal Shower

Brother Chuck

Buckeye Belle

Bunker Hill

Candy Heart

Candy Stripe

Carnation Bouquet

Carol

Catharina Fontijn

Celebrity

Charles Burgess

Charlie's White

Chestine Cowdy

Christmas Velvet

Chromatella

Claire de Lune

Class Act

Comanche

Cora Stubbs

Coral 'n Gold

Coral Charm

Coral Sunset

Couronne dÓr

Cream Puff

Cytherea

Dinner Plate

Do Tell

Doreen

Dr. Alexander Fleming

Dr. F.G Brethour

Duchess de Nemours

Duchesse de Nemours

Early Windflower

Eden's Perfume

Edulis Superba

Elisa Sass

Elsa Sass

Etched Salmon

Fairy Petticoat

Felix Crousse

Felix Supreme

Festiva maxima (Rose)

Festive maxima

Flame

Florence Nicholls

Fuji No Mine

Garden Lace

Garden Treasure

Gardenia

Gay Paree

Germaine Bigot

Gilbert Barthelot

Glory Hallelujah

Golden Frolic

Goldilocks

Green Lotus

Harmoine

Henri Potin

Henry Bockstoce

Henry Sass

Hermoine

Hillary

Honey Gold

Honor

Immaculee

Inspecteur Lavergne

Ivory Victory

James Kelway

Jan van leeuwen

Kansas

karen Gray

Karl Rosenfield

Kelways Glorious

Kelways Lovely

Koningin Wilhelmina

Koningswinter

Krinkled White

La Cygne

La Perlé

Lady Alexander Duff

Lady Liberty

lancaster IMP

Laura dessert

Le Cygne

Lemon Chiffon

Lorelei

Louise Marx

Luxor

Madame Calot

Madame Claude Tain

Madame de Verneville

Maestro

Marie Crousse

Marie Lemoine

Marietta Sisson

May lilac

Merry Mayshine

Miss America

Miss Eckhart

Mister Ed

Mlokosewitshii/ 'Molly the witch'

Mme De Verneville (Rose)

Mollis

Mons Jules Elie

Monsieur Jules Elie

Moon over Barrington

Moonrise

Moonstone

Morning Kiss

Mothers Choice

Mrs Franklin D Rosenvelt

Mrs J V Edlund

Mrs. Franklin D Roosenvelt

My Love

Myrtle Gentry

Nancy Nora

Nice Gal

Nick Shaylor

Nippon Beauty

Noemay Demay

Ola Faithful

Otto Froebel

P. lutea

Paladin

Pastelelegance

Paul M Wild

Peaches and Cream

Peter Brand

Philomele

Picotee

Pillow Talk

Pink Derby

Pink Hawaiian Coral

Pink Parfait

Pink Pearl

Postilion

President Lincoln

President Wilson

Primevere

Princess Bride

Princess Margaret

Raspberry Sundae

Red Charm

Red grace

Red Red Rose

Red Sarah Bernhardt

Reine Hortense

Rhapsody

Roman Gold

Rose Heart

Rosea Plena

Roselette

Rozella

Rubra plena

Sarah bernhardt

Scarlet O'hara

Seashell

Sebastian Maas

Shawnee Chief

Shirley Temple

Snow Mountain

Solange

Sorbet

Sparkling Star

Stardust

Starlight

Surprise

Sword Dance

The Fawn

Top Brass

Tree peonies

Victoire de la Marne

Vivid Rose

Vogue

White Cap

White Innocence

White Wings

Wladyslawa

Best Peonies for Cut Flowers

Peonies are often wed to celebrate special days of our lives to remember, and what better way is there than to upgrade your bouquet to another level by using fragrant and colorful peonies to accentuate love and passion! Pure Whites are always a winner combined with fragrant scented silky smooth pinks, corals, yellows and reds in all shades.

Of course, roses and peonies are the perfect companions, whether as cut flowers in a vase or in the garden next to a range of foliage plants that are perfect for creating different arrangements of bouquets throughout the seasons. But when planning on growing your own cut flowers, you should consider growing a range of other flowers and foliage too that will bloom at the same time. See our companion planting list. By planting with these recommended plants in mind, you get to create a heaven of floral masterpieces to have on hand in the same season. This of course is not limited and can be worked on depending on your location, further south in England, Flowers tend to bloom a few weeks earlier than up here in Scotland, this means that there will be some plants that will be perfect to have in your garden that will flower in the same time frame.

Caring for your cut flowers

Now as we all know, when cutting flowers from the garden, the best time to do this is during the early hours of the day when the temperature is still nice and cool and evaporation is at a minimum. Make sure to use clean, sanitized tools for the job. Choose your desired flowers and cut back the bottom parts of foliage to prevent them from being submerged in the water. To ensure the peony flowers are enjoyed much longer, cut the stems when the flower is still in the bud, with just some colour showing, cut them when the buds are firm, yet soft as a marshmallow. There should be some sort of retraction in the bud after you squeezed it.  Keep in mind that with each flower form comes different textures too. While single petal flowers are usually cut while the bud is still a bit hard. As with double, semi-double, bomb and Japanese flower forms, keep in mind the amount of layers within each bud, this will result in a much softer plump bud. 

Make sure the bottom parts of the stems do not dry out too much as this will cause air pockets within the structure of the stem, leading to unsuccessful water uptake when placing in water. If this does occur, ensure that you re-cut the bottom tips from the stems and place them in the water immediately to prevent the air pockets to restrict water uptake later on. Once you are done with the selection of your flowers, place them in a cool location out of direct sunlight to enjoy the flowers for longer. You can prolong the life of cut flowers by placing them in cold water also by replacing the water daily to prevent any bacteria from flourishing in the water and by placing a half teaspoon of sugar in the water to keep them all happy.

Listed Below are some of the Peonies best for Cut Flowers

Doctor Alexander Fleming

Alice Harding

Amelia Olson

Angel Cheeks

Avalanche

Barbara

Baroness Schroeder

Big Ben

Bouquet perfect

Bowl of Cream

Bridal Gown

Bridal Icing

Bunker Hill

Catharine Fontyn

Charlie's White

Chippewa

Clair Dubois

Coral Charm

Coral Sunset

Coral Supreme

Cytherea

Dinner Plate

Duchess de Nemours

Edulis Superba

Elsa Sass

Etched Salmon

Felix Supreme

Festiva Maxima

Flame

Gardenia

Gay Paree

Henry Bostoce

Hermoine

Jacorma

James Pillow

Jan van Leeuwen

Kansas

Karl Rosenfeld

Lady Alexandra Duff

Lancaster imp

Lemon Chiffon

Maestro

Mighty Mo

Miss America

Mons. Jules Elie

Mothers Choice

Mr Ed

Mrs Franklin D Rosenvelt

My Love

My Pal Rudy

Myrtle Gentry

Nancy Nora

Nick Shaylor

Old Faithful

Paul M. Wild

Paula Fay

Pillow Talk

Pink Dawn

Pink Parfait

Postilion

Raspberry Sundae

Red Charm

Reine Hortense

Salmon Dream

Sarah Bernhardt

Scarlet O’Hara

Sea Shell

Shirley Temple

Solange

Violet Dawson

Vogue

White Cap