Peony roses
Susan Haas
Herbaceous peonies
Many gardeners grow peony roses and peony trees. They are beautiful flowers in subtle shades of pink, mauve and white that many adore.
The only problem with them is that their scent is not at all pleasant.
For something so gorgeous, it is impossible to imagine that they stink. There is one peony that I refer to as the ‘Deloraine Peony’.
This is a beautiful dark red/pink peony.
One of my clients has three in Mole Creek, and I have three of them myself.
One belonged to the original owners of my house, I bought one, and my old next-door neighbour gave me one.
As they generally take three years to flower, that is how I ended up with three.
Peonies are especially suited to our climate.
They love cold winters.
They are a bit like lavender and do not like to be too wet, or they will rot underground.
They also don’t like being planted too deeply or moved after they have settled.
Growers recommend that they are mulched over the summer to avoid overheating.
What I didn’t realise is that peonies are extremely greedy plants.
They love to be fed.
I was told of a woman who fed her peonies every week! That is a little over the top!
It is recommended that they are fed blood and bone when planted and a special rose plant food in autumn.
They could also have some potash at springtime to aid in flowering.
It is important to take away the mulch from the plants in winter so they can experience the full cold.
Tree peonies
Tree peonies are slow-growing and can reach two metres tall.
They don’t need winters as cold as herbaceous peonies.
They will grow lower from September to November.
Tree peony flower colours range from white to yellows through to reds and black, with a darker blotch in the centre of the flowers.
Tree peonies are best planted in autumn and positioned to catch the morning sun.
Be patient. The blooms may be small and single and not true to colour.
Make sure they are fertilised, and the plants will be fine.
I have a tree peony on one of my client’s properties.
It struggles although it has morning sun.
I think it needs some fertiliser at the correct times, and hopefully, it will show a marked improvement.
Happy growing!
Plant this month: chillies, zucchini, eggplant, sweet corn and rosella.
