Perfect time to plant Peonies

You will probably have gathered (if you have been reading my ramblings over the last few years) that I get very excited about gardening during the winter months. This is the time of year when all the preparations start, and we can begin to put into place the plans we have for next year.

November is the start of the bare root season; I’ve mentioned hedge planting and bare root roses before and now it is the paeonies’ turn. These magnificent blooms are quintessential in an English garden and herald the start of summer, with their large blousy flowers taking centre stage in many borders. It is easy to be tempted to buy them when they are in flower in May/June, but autumn is the best time to plant them.

Contrary to their looks, these stunning flowers are pretty tough and like to have a little bit of frost. The cold temperatures trigger root growth and give the plants a chance to establish themselves well in the ground, building robust root systems to transport water and nutrients later. Peonies planted in the spring don’t have that much time to grow a strong root system, so they often struggle to get through a hot summer and might take longer to produce flowers. To put it shortly, an autumn paeony plant will always be stronger.

There are three types of paeony: herbaceous, tree and intersectional hybrids. I will just cover bare root Herbaceous Paeonies in this article (I will come back to the other types another time), which are the most popular type to grow and buy as cut flowers. These plants are characterised by having stems and leaves that die down before winter and stay dormant before the next blooming season. There are many varieties, ranging from simple single flowers to exotic frilly doubles, with colours spanning the rainbow from deep reds and magentas and vibrant yellows to delicate whites and shell pinks. Memorable names you might have come across are Sarah Bernhardt, Bowl of Beauty, Duchesse de Nemour, Coral Charm and Buckeye Belle.

Paeonies like a fairly neutral, well drained soil in a sunny area of the garden, where the blooms in the spring will need plenty of light. When you are choosing plants, you need to look for healthy roots with at least a few pink growth buds (‘eyes’) on them to ensure that you will have flowering stems in the spring.

Before planting, the roots need to be soaked in water for half an hour and then they can be dug straight into the ground, unless it is frozen or waterlogged. Remember not to place the roots too deep, but just plant them a little bit under the surface so that the pink buds are left above ground level. The cold is necessary to activate them, so they need to be open to the air. If you are not able to plant straight away, pot them on into a large container ready to be transplanted when conditions allow.

When the peony buds start to sprout in the spring, I suggest that you feed them with an organic slow release fertilizer and again after the flowering. Dead heading the paeonies will also redirect the energy of the plant into the roots for strong flowers next year.