May Flower Focus: Peonies

Peonies are an all time favorite flower: from their appearance to their scent to the fact that they are almost effortless to grow, what’s not to love?!

There are three types of peonies: tree peonies, herbaceous peonies, and itoh peonies (a hybrid of tree and herbaceous peonies).

The most common form of peony grown and found in nurseries and home gardens are the herbaceous peony. They get cut back every winter so you almost forget they were ever there. Then, in late March, you’ll begin to see tiny pink shoots appear above ground. These are the eyes of the tuber which the peony grows from, and year by year those eyes multiple. Meaning that every year your peony plant becomes larger!

Planting a peony is super easy because the tuber should be planted shallowly, only about 2 inches deep. That means that if you purchase a tuber, you barely have to dig a hole to place it into. Simply dig about 3 inches down and wide enough to fit the tuber (they come in many shapes and sizes, and some can be quite long).  Then, lay the tuber longways in the hole with the old stem stub facing up. If purchased from a nursery, you’ll want to remove the plant from the pot and place in a hole where the top of potted plant soil line is even with the ground.

The biggest thing to note about peonies is that they do require patience to enjoy. They may not flower the first year, will have a few flowers the second, and then it’s the third year where you should really enjoy a harvest.  The patience is definitely worth it, as they will continue to give you more and more blooms each year after that, and peony plants can last up to 100 years! One of my favorite peony gardens is owned by a 98 year old woman who has the most beautiful plants installed for her by her husband as an anniversary gift 70 some years ago (a thought for if you’re looking for a romantic yet practical gift for someone you love…)

When it comes to harvesting peonies, the best time to do so is when they’re at the marshmallow stage, meaning the bud is fully closed yet squishy like a marshmallow. Not only will that give you the longest vase life, but it will also keep the ants out of the flower. You’ll notice that peony buds are often covered in ants as soon as they appear. This is because the buds emit a sap that the ants love, and they’re doing no harm! Allow them to enjoy the sweet treat out in the field, but simply give the buds a little flick before bringing them indoors so as to avoid bringing the ants along with you.

Around September, you may find that the peony foliage has become brittle, at which point it’s okay to cut it back. Then, add a small layer of mulch for the tuber to rest underground for the fall/winter…and the following spring, the new plant will emerge and you’ll once again have magnificent blooms to enjoy indoors and out.

Circling back to the fact that peonies take a few years to mature, I thought it would be fun to share photos of a 6 month old peony field, planted last October and now enjoying its first spring.

Austen and Katie, friends and farm neighbors, asked me to design and guide the installation of a field that would bloom from early to mid spring with the best peony varieties around - and this field would serve as a focal point of their lovely. new AirBNB, The Peony Preserve and Cottage. Hundreds of peony roots were planted, and it’s been so exciting to see them all pop up this first year!

Because peony plants are so small the first year and won’t produce many blooms, we added in crimson clover between the rows to give the field a full appearance this first year. The clover will eventually be mowed back, and in the following years, the shrubs will become so full that you’ll barely notice the grass.

Take a peek at how the field looks today, and just imagine how insanely gorgeous this is going to be in just a couple of years! And be sure to click on the link to check out the lovely cottage that’s perfectly located to enjoy all Crozet and Charlottesville has to offer.

Click here to view The Peony Cottage on AirBNB

The sweeping hill of peonies at The Peony Cottage

Peony plant, year one