There’s something so special about peonies that make them one of the most treasured plants in my garden. They don’t flower for long, so perhaps its tied up in the need to appreciate them during their ephemeral bloom, but my are they beautiful. There’s possibly even something in the sense of anticipation that’s almost as delicious as the flowers themselves. Some of them are deliciously scented, others are prized for their delicate petals or fluffy stamens. Many have interesting seedheads and good autumn colour in their foliage. All are well worth growing –  can you find a place in your garden for a peony or two? Here are some of my favourites.

Tree Peonies

Tree Peonies are actually medium sized shrubs, rather than trees. They have a woody structure that is there all year round, and tend to flower earlier than herbaceous peonies, by around a month or 6 weeks. Tree peonies can have absolutely massive blooms, the size of dinner plates, which are seriously impressive, but also worth seeking out are the species tree peonies like Paeonia lutea var. ludlowii which has simpler, smaller flowers but plenty of them, and delightful cut foliage, making a handsome plant. Worth checking out are a couple of grand dames: Paeonia ‘Duchess of Marlborough’ with luscious pale pink blooms, and Paeonia ‘Duchess of Kent’ with carmine red fully double blooms set off with red stems and stalks amongst its green foliage. Some tree peonies have a light scent but it’s not their major characteristic.

Pruning tree peonies can be risky. Prune too late and you’ll risk having any flowers on those stems the following year. Prune too soon (just after flowering) and the plant may look ungainly for the rest of the season. Always prune out dead wood in winter. To rejuvenate an old plant, cut a few stems down to the ground each year, rather than the whole lot at once.

Where to plant tree peonies? These can be large plants, so ideally towards the back of a border, and they can take dappled shade. They’d appreciate a feed in autumn and again in spring.

Herbaceous Peonies

The type of peony most commonly grown is the herbaceous peony. These have no woody structure, and grow from their roots freshly every year. Their fresh stems emerge from the earth in an unusual reddish hue, looking almost like alien limbs trying to escape from the soil! By April they have grown all their stem and leaf structure and by May you should be able to count the buds to see how many flowers you’ll be able to enjoy in the coming weeks.

My all time favourite (so far at least!) has to be Paeonia lactiflora ‘Duchesse de Nemours’, though, for quite a few reasons. It has to be the ultimate luxury bloom, with exquisite fragrance (reminds me of lemon meringue pie!), elegant creamy blooms packed with inner petals, and luscious dark green foliage. I had the Duchesse in my wedding bouquet, and every year she flowers on or around our wedding anniversary, so she conjures particularly fond memories for me!

Traditional peonies like P. Sarah Bernhardt have very double flowerheads, packed with petals, like a pair of frilly knickers. I’m perhaps more taken with the more open bowl like flowers of the single peonies like P. ‘Bowl of Beauty’ whose central boss of stamens is surrounded tightly by stylised petals in a rich cream colour, contrasting strongly with the mid pink guard petals. This is known as one of the easiest peonies to grow, so you have no excuse for not giving it a try!

There are so many herbaceous peonies to try and there’s not much involved in growing them. My top peony growing tips are

a) when planting, pay particular attention to the soil depth. They don’t like to have their crowns buried too deep – max 2.5 cm below soil level. Any deeper and the plant will sulk and not give you any flowers. It’s an old wives tale, by the way, that peonies don’t like to be moved. However once they are happily established and flowering their socks off, it’d be a shame to lift them, so make sure you’re certain they’re in their long term spot when you do plant them.

b) support the blooms before they open, whilst still in bud. Anticipate how tall the plant will grow, and the blooms can be on fairly long but sturdy stems, and get a support structure in during the spring growth spurt in advance of the flowers opening. You don’t want to be doing it afterwards as it will look ungainly and spoil the overall look of the plant when it should be at its absolute best.

Herbaceous peonies appreciate being planted in sun (at least 6 hours a day) but appreciate some shade in the afternoon (this will help them to bloom for longer) and need fertile, moist soil, but don’t appreciate their roots sitting in water. Dig a trench around the backfilled hole once you’ve planted your herbaceous peony, and water this trench well, soaking the plant. This will encourage the roots to grow outwards rather than down, keeping the storage roots near the soil surface and encouraging bud production. Keep them well watered in a dry summer to ensure they flower the following year.  Don’t cut back the leaves in late summer even if they’re starting to look a little tatty, as the roots are still being fed by the foliage. Finally, give them a nutrient rich feed in autumn as the leaves fall, or in early spring, to ensure you get plentiful blooms.

If your peony gets too big and you think you’d like to have split it, you can divide it, but make sure you do it at the right time of year. Dividing peonies in August or September will give them a chance to establish new roots before the soil gets cold.

Intersectional Peonies

These unusual and highly sought after peonies are a cross between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies. They are also sometimes known as Itoh peonies, as they were developed and bred by Japanese nurseryman Toichi Itoh. They grow taller than herbaceous peonies  and have a stronger structure so don’t need supporting, but do die down completely in winter. They have very large flowerheads that are sometimes lightly fragrant, and typically have beautiful, finely cut foliage that colours well into autumn.

I have yet to start my intersectional peony journey (they’re quite expensive to buy!) but one day soon I may well make an investment.

How to choose Peonies

You can buy peonies from specialist growers such as Kelways, Claire Austin and Primrosse Hall Peonies. Seek out their stands at flower shows, such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to see their peonies at their absolute best, and choose your favourite. Alternatively you can see them growing en masse at RHS Wisley in early June – it won’t disappoint!