Growing Perfect Herbaceous Peonies

Growing perfect peonies is the dream of many a gardener.  Peonies were first introducted into England in the 18th century when travellers brought them back from China.  When gardeners first saw them they were fascinated by the big, showy flowers and the colour range from deep crimson, through to pale pink to pure white.  Many of them had the added bonus of sweet scent.

The herbaceous peonies became a firm favourite with English gardeners and can be seen in many a garden in bloom in late Spring and early Summer.  They are fantastic garden plants, relatively disease free and not even a really cold winter can kill them off.  Rabbits and deer show no interest in herbaceous peonies which is good news for the country gardener.

Herbaceous peonies are considered to be a bit old fashioned nowadays and are often relegated to the cottage garden.  The heyday of the peony in England was during the Edwardian period when they could be seen in gardens as well as finding much favour as cut flowers for the house.

In the early 20th century Kelways Nursery in Somerset was the leading breeder of herbaceous peonies and during the Edwardian period large crowds of people would visit just to see the peonies in the fields.  Kelways Nursery is still going strong and now houses the National Collection of pre-1940s cultivators of Paeonia lactiflora.

If you want to grow herbaceous peonies you should note that peonies grown in sandy soil will not flower as well as those in clay soil, often producing more leaf than flower.  Peonies grown in clay soil take longer to get established but are well worth the effort.  Another mistake that is often made is planting your herbaceous peonies too deep which will prevent them from flowering.

If you want an early flowering peony you should go for the single ones such as 'White Wings', 'Bowl of Beauty' or 'Claire de Lune'. For big, blousy double peonies you might want to try 'Duchesse de Nemours', 'Doctor Alexander Fleming' or 'Karl Rosenfeld'.

Hebaceous peonies are available at most garden centres, although you will get a much better choice at a specialist nursery.  When you're choosing your peony make sure you get a good, healthy plant with strong stems.  If you are growing peonies with large double blooms you should stake them to avoid the heads getting damaged or breaking.