Re: peony people

If you want a leaf imprint on new cement, peony leaves are one of the
prettiest to use, vein side down.
----- Original Message -----
From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 7:34 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] peony people


> Andrea, I know you will get more professional advice from others, but
> I will add my experience.  I can't predict how well peonies will do in
your
> climate - I never saw them until after I was married and moved North, but
> I would hate to live where they don't grow.
> 'Festiva Maxima' is a very old cultivar, and one of my favorites.  It is
> extremely tough and hardy.  I would guess that if any would do well for
> you, that would be the one.  I visited a nursery last spring that grows
> them for cut flowers - literally by the truckload.  The blooms are so
> large that I have a cage around the plant to prevent their flopping
> even though the stems are usually quite strong. Most of my 20 or so
> peonies are grown in a row or in the back of various beds, and so
> help support themselves.  I don't have to stake or prop them.  But
> this one is right by itself and could flop in rainy weather.
> First of all, don't plant them any deeper than the two inches - or even
> that deep - or they won't bloom.  I always feel in the ground for the
tubers.
> If they are more than knuckle depth, I pull the dirt away from them.
> Mulch might help to keep the soil cooler, but you don't want to let it
> build up over the tubers.
> As for fertilizer, I usually add composted cow manure after they bloom
> each spring - but still carefully, so as not to cover the tubers.
> In this area at least, it is important to cut the foliage to the ground in
> the fall and dispose of it in the garbage - never the compost.  That is
> because of the danger of botrytis blight or another fungus.  If I do
> that faithfully, I rarely have a problem, but if I fail to do it in the
fall,
> the
> buds will blast in the spring.
> As for sun or shade, you are probably better off in part shade.  Most
> of mine are in part shade - I don't really have any full sun any more -
> but it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference to their success.
> My one tree peony did poorly when it's location became full shade,
> but when I moved it into a spot with about half-day sun, it recovered
> nicely.
> I hope you have success with peonies.  They're just about my
> favorite plant.  I love the foliage even after they bloom - always a
> nice-looking background for other flowers, and are good in
> arrangements, too.
> Auralie
>
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