G a r d en i n g b y the se a
Peonies
perfection in bloom:
15 inch growth and finely dissected medium green leaves can easily complement smaller annuals and perennials. The most widely cultivated tree peony, P. rockii (suffruticosa), is a broad spreading shrub that can attain a size of five feet by five feet. As many as one hundred six- to eight-inch blossoms may grace this large leafed, deciduous, woody stemmed plant. These have been revered by royalty, cherished by gardeners, and grown for centuries for traditional medicinal purposes. Both Chinese and Japanese hybrids are available. Peonies can live 50 to 100 years. Like the discovery of lilacs on old farm sites, clumps of long-lived peonies can provide clues to prior land use. It is important to site peonies carefully, as they often sulk for a year or two following transplanting. The spreading roots of these somewhat greedy plants are best provided for by preparing a wide planting hole, liberally enriched with compost and bone meal, in well drained, slightly sweet soil. Planting depth is important; one inch below soil surface for herbaceous and four inches below for trees. Good hygiene is important; dead foliage should be removed, and not composted, to prevent the spread of fungal diseases and wilts. Part-day sun and gentle air circulation encourage perfect blooms. Flowering in late spring to early summer, post-rhododendron and pre-rose, the peony fills a gap in garden bloom sequences. The flowers of the longstemmed herbaceous plants are perfect for cutting, and possess an extended vase life. The shorter-stemmed tree flowers are elegant in low bowls. So follow Alice Harding’s advice, reserve four square feet and plant a peony that you and future generations will appreciate and enjoy! ~ leigh knuttel
Gardening by the Sea columnist Leigh Knuttel is the Arboretum Horticulturalist at Connecticut College. She was the Museum’s supervisor of grounds for many years and was responsible for many of the fascinating plants at Mystic Seaport.
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“Had I but four square feet of ground at my disposal, I would plant a peony in the center and proceed to worship,” said Alice Harding, peony grower from the early twentieth century. With that proclamation, don’t peonies sound like “must haves” for the garden, deserving of the honor associated with their other title, King or Queen of the Flowers? For those of us who garden, peonies can be separated into three groups: herbaceous types, tree peonies and intersectional hybrids. The hybrids result from crosses between the tree and herbaceous types. Although botanists and geneticists continue to reclassify the peony family, plant form and structure can guide garden choices. Dying to the ground each fall, herbaceous peonies emerge from rosy buds and develop as shiny, deep red shoots. Maturing to handsome dark green foliage, the long stems are crowned by three to six inch, often fragrant, flowers. Colors range from white and yellow, through pinks to red. Blossom types may be single, anemone, double, or the full and frilly “bomb.” Most of the herbaceous types are derivates of either Paeonia officinalis (Rubra Plena) from southern Europe, or P. lactifolia, of northeast Asia. The latter, the Chinese Peony, was introduced to Europe in the 1780s, although it had been cultivated in China and Japan for hundreds of years prior. Fern-leaf Peony, P. tenuifolia, not as widely available as its large-leafed cousins, can be sited as a front of the border plant. Its compact 12 to