Plants to love this week: Peony

Every spring, just as you’ve almost forgotten about them, the peonies begin. 

Big, blowsy and faintly ridiculous, it arrives with armfuls of petals and absolutely no intention of going unnoticed. And really, that is why we love peony. After months of waiting, those tightly furled buds finally open into great, extravagant flowers that seem almost too generous for their stems.

Peonies are not plants for the impatient gardener. They take their time, settle in slowly and can be rather particular about where they are planted. But once established, they reward that patience year after year.

When to plant peony

If you’re wondering when to plant peony, the colder months are the time to do it. Bare-root peony tubers are generally planted while dormant, giving them time to establish before spring growth begins.

One detail matters enormously: planting depth.

GARDEN WITH LE SAC

The eyes of the tuber should sit just beneath the surface of the soil. Plant them too deeply and you may end up with plenty of leaves but very few flowers, possibly none at all. It feels almost counterintuitive to leave them sitting so close to the surface, but with peonies, restraint pays.

Then comes the waiting.

In Australia, their great performance usually arrives from October through December. Buds swell, stems lengthen and then, seemingly all at once, the garden has peonies again.

Where peony grows

Knowing where peony grows best comes down largely to winter cold. Peonies need a proper chilly spell to flower well, which is why they are so at home in Tasmania, Victoria and the cooler tableland regions.

Give them a sunny position, good drainage and somewhere they can remain relatively undisturbed. A peony is not a plant that needs constant fussing once it has found its place.

For much of the year it asks very little, then spring arrives and it puts on one of the garden’s most theatrical displays.

How we use peony

When it comes to how we use peony in the garden, we are inclined to let it have the stage.

One established plant can hold its own without much assistance. Give it breathing room in a border rather than crowding it among too many competing flowers, and let those generous blooms do what they do best.

GARDEN WITH LE SAC

And if a stem happens to find its way indoors, all the better. A single peony in a vase can be enough.

That is the real pleasure of them. They are fleeting, slightly temperamental and entirely unapologetic about taking their time.

Then, for a few short weeks each spring, they remind us exactly why we waited.

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