Re: peony people

Zem, that reminds me, we used to pretend passion flowers were ballerinas,
except my Granny called them "Maypops"  It's a good memory. They would grow
like ground covers all over the pastures. I never knew they were actually
vines that would climb until I grew up and started gardening. 

Andrea H
hodgesaa@earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves Around You.


> [Original Message]
> From: Zemuly Sanders <zsanders@midsouth.rr.com>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Date: 2/18/2005 1:53:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] peony people
>
> When I was a little girl my grandmother and I would play "lady" with the 
> roses and peonies in our garden.  We would cut the stems with two leaves 
> left for 'arms' and the flower would be the skirt.  We would pretend they 
> were going to fancy dress balls.  My grandmother was born in Mississippi
in 
> 1869, and she told me she used to play that same make-believe game with
her 
> grandmother.
> zem
> zone 7
> West TN
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 9:34 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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