Gardeners' World: Nick Bailey talks about peonies
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Spring is a great time to plant a variety of flowers in the garden, including peonies. According to gardener Nick Bailey, peonies are “very hardy” and can tolerate cold temperatures, meaning they are great for all seasons. Sharing tips on Gardeners’ World, the expert said: “With its sumptuous romantic blooms in shades of soft pink, white, crimson and even yellow, for many people the peony is the perfect harbinger of summer.
“Graceful, voluptuous and glamorous, peonies are all of these things and that’s just the flower.
“In a border like this or even a vase, they’ve got it all, the perfect balance of form, flower, foliage and sometimes even fragrance.
“Beloved from China, where it’s a national emblem, to the UK, where it is the belle of the border, in its 4,000 year history of cultivation, the peony has captured hearts across the world.
“There are three types of peony, herbaceous, tree and intersectional.
“The one that is the most familiar is the herbaceous peony. There are two types, hybrids, which are crosses of wild peony species and lactiflora, which is a species in its own right with many different cultivars.”
Nick then showed viewers a gorgeous pink peony, known as the Bowl of Beauty.
He said the foliage could last all the way through to autumn.
Peonies require moist but well-drained soil in full sun and are best planted in spring.
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The gardening expert said they are “very hardy” and able to “tolerate temperatures well below zero”.
He added: “There are all sorts of ways of making use of herbaceous peonies in the garden, and I think this is a particularly successful example.”
Nick showed a large group of peonies, set back from the edge of the border.
The gardening expert continued: “The useful thing about peonies is that although they have a relatively short flowering window, once these blooms go over, you have got fabulous foliage.”
Peonies can also be potted singularly and used in modern contemporary gardens.
The other peonies, which are widely available, are tree peonies.
Nick explained: “Don’t be confused by their name, tree peonies are actually shrubs, which retain their woody stems when the flowers are long gone and the leaves have been shed.
“Tree peonies have several seasons of interest. They start out early in the year with huge and truly exotic-looking flowers.”
Tree peonies do not need pruning, although faded seed heads should be removed in autumn.
Nick added: “This is truly a plant for all seasons.
“The third group of peonies are called the intersectionals, and they combine the virtues of herbaceous peonies and tree peonies.
“They provide a mass of large fragrant flowers that last for over a month.
“When it comes to cultivating peonies in the garden, they really aren’t much trouble.
“They love moisture-retentive free-draining soil, but if you don’t have that, adding organic matter should do the trick.”
They may also benefit from staking as the petals can collect rainwater, resulting often in collapsing.
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