Saturday, June 04, 2011

Peony







I’ve been temporarily sidelined by a cranky muscle. All I can do is enjoy looking at the garden and try not to obsess about the work that needs to be done.

The peony’s brief bloom time is spectacular. After a one week and one rain storm, the blooms are gone. They need to be deadheaded. Most years I tie them up to keep them from flopping over. Some gardeners remove side blooms to produce single, larger blooms. Usually, by the end of summer the leaves are covered with a mold but it doesn’t seem to affect the plants. In fall, I’ll cut them to the ground and discard the cuttings.

The white peony came with the house and has been here for at least 40 years. I added the red about 20 years ago. Now that’s a long-lived perennial.



More information on Paeonia hybrids from Ohio State University .

3 comments:

shari said...

There are still peonies blooming here and there. The late bloomers, I guess. But yes, most of them have been blown away by the winds or pelted down by the rain a week ago. Too bad... I love seeing peonies!

Marie said...

Shari,
Yes, they are so pretty even if they are only a brief bloom. This year's rain storms made short work of them. But, since I don't pinch off the side buds, there will be a few lingering blooms.

Flowering Pear said...

Fantastic! Yes, they are so pretty even if they are only a brief bloom..
Thanks for sharing with us..