PEONIES

There probably isn't another flower with as long and varied a history as the peony. Here at Vermont Flower Farm we have always loved peonies but until recent years, we only raised a few for sale. Peonies have such an exuberant history they would serve as a base for a great interdisciplinary education program for an aspiring grade school botanist. The beauty of the peony has traversed continents for thousands of years and over time  it has appeared not only in gardens but in art, literature and medicine. Here then is a plant you can study from a variety of interesting perspectives!

Surprisingly there have been times when gardeners lost interest in peonies, little was written and hybridizing didn't receive all that much attention. That's hard to imagine if you have ever grown them. Those who have documented the peony go back into Chinese history 3000 years. Peonies had great meaning within the culture while playing an important part in medical care. Not only the petals but also the seeds, roots and bark were important for treating various maladies. They were used to fend off bad dreams and evil spirits, and to calm pain from arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, child birth, or toothaches. Some also thought ground root mixtures calmed seizures and slowed bad coughs. We can't provide a current day appraisal of their medical benefits, but if  the beauty of the flowers is the sole basis for growing them, we can assure new gardeners that they will feel much better every year around June when the plants bud out and color radiates from your plantings.

Peonies became well established in Europe in the 1800's with some fine work by  French and English hybridizers. Those living in North American had a couple native species to be content with until more species and hybrids made passage to American gardens. Although ancient medical research suggested the peonies could assist to "cool the blood" and that they evoked anti-bacterial properties,  these alleged benefits were probably less useful marketing tools than the beauty of the flowers themselves.

In 1904, interest in peonies led to the founding of the American Peony Society (www.americanpeonysociety.org). That assembly encouraged discussions among hybridizers and hundreds of new hybrids appeared. The APS  led on in North American until 1998 when the Canadian Peony Society was founded (http://www.peony.ca). Coincidently or not, it seems to us  that  was about the time that peonies began  a rise in popularity here in New England. Recently we have noted more publicity in gardening journals and more varieties on sale at nurseries.

Growing peonies is an easy proposition although one might wonder based on the inquiries here at our nursery. Some gardeners describe lush foliage that continues flowerless for years. Concurrently we have heard about every "what about the ants?" question imaginable. We should really prepare a list some time as some of the ant questions are amusing. All cultures have a way of promoting and maintaining tales and "ants and peonies" is a chapter by itself.

We suggest people  think about planting a peony as if it will remain in place for a long time. We encourage a sunny,  well drained location. We try to describe preparing a large  hole fully amended with well aged compost. Then there is the most  important part of all: planting the root not deeper than 1.5 to 2 inches deep. That description in itself has sent many a gardener home to locate a shovel and "make right" a previous planting.

For us, peonies are a trouble free garden beauty. Some of ours put up over 70 stems each year and are covered with buds and blooms. We side dress each spring with aged manure and some 5-10-5 and we provide supplemental water based on the kind of late spring-early summer we experience.  On years of plentiful rain and fluctuating temperatures we occasionally see some botrytis (fungus) on the leaves but thus far have never had to take any action.

Peonies flower here from late June on into early-to-mid July. There may be a week's difference, year-to-year, based upon temperature. Peonies  begin to set buds on their roots for the following year in August. We make it a point not to let our peonies set seed so after they flower, any flower stems which have not been cut for the house or customers are cut off and disposed of. Then we make sure that the roots are well watered. Watering is not a favorite sport, especially by August, but the resulting buds the following year make it all worth it!

If you visit us, you'll see that Gail generally has 6-8 varieties potted for sale throughout the summer. These are 3-5 (or greater) eye roots which have been carried over for at least a year so they can be transplanted any time on into fall. October is when we dig our peonies and divide the root. This is one of the last chores of the season. If you have an interest in something we are growing on for future sales, ask Gail and she can let you know if she can help out this year or next. You might think a root will never survive if planted so late but peonies are a hardy lot and they will do well.

You'll notice we have peonies interplanted in our display gardens and we have a couple gardens where our new collections are growing along. Everything is clearly marked so you can begin to get an idea of foliage, flower type, color and bloom time. Our collections are fairly new plantings but you should find them interesting. Here is a list of some of the peonies included in our gardens.

Oh yes.......and the deal with the ants people ask about??? Ants are attracted to the sweet sap on peony buds. You'll notice ants when the flowers are in bud . They are in no way needed for any aspect of a peony's development and don't harm anything. If you are cutting buds to bring in the house or give to a friend, remember to turn the stems upside down and shake them a few times....... and they will pretty much be ant free.

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