OT Peonies, was Banned from the Garden!--very long

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 17:33:47 -0500, Joan Erickson
wrote:

wrote:

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 14:21:24 -0600, "Dawne Peterson"
wrote:

But while we are in our own gardens, what is the secret to peonies??

They are picky and if you try to divide them, or move them,they often
will sulk and not bloom for a few years. Stick them in and leave them
alone.
Sheena is right. Not so much that they're picky (at least in my
experience--mine aren't in very good soil), but they *usually* won't
bloom until the third year after they've been moved. And give them
plenty of room--my little 8" transplants are now in a space about 4 feet
across! They also like pretty much full sun, too. My mom had a pink
one that was nearly always in the shadow of something or other during
the day and never did get very big, even after many years.
I usually trim off the flower heads when they're done blooming. It
looks like a nice bush from then until frost. Then in the fall, when
the growing season is done, cut them off so there's only a couple of
inches left sticking out of the ground.
HTH and good luck!

I never thought about trimming off the blooms and leaving the rest as
a bush. I have been cutting the whole thing down to the ground when
the blooming is done. I am going to try it your way next year.

Hmmm, mine is huge and it's in poor soil (Virginia red clay). I
wonder if they do better in poor soil than in what most people would
call good soil.

Debra in VA

Thanks Joan and Sheena for this. I now think that the location I tried was
not the best--against the house, so facing east and in shade much of the
day. I will have to look carefully at various hours to find a better
spot--I also have two huge fir trees in my front yard so shade is easier to
find than full sun.
What are their watering requirements??
Dawne

Hello!
I love peonies too! But I only have 3 because I know how big they get! But
there is this pink semi-double!

I never thought about trimming off the blooms and leaving the rest as
a bush. I have been cutting the whole thing down to the ground when
the blooming is done. I am going to try it your way next year.

Here in NE, the leaves turn lovely colors in the fall. Sometimes I will
leave the seed heads alone - they look exotic when they split open!

Hmmm, mine is huge and it's in poor soil (Virginia red clay). I
wonder if they do better in poor soil than in what most people would
call good soil.


The only rule of thumb that I learned from my peony guru (he's in Maine), is
to make sure the crown is less than an inch under soil level - and no mulch.
In the south the rule is deeper, but don't ask me how deep!
Cheryl
(peonies - Wrinkles and Krinkles, Shirley Temple and Coral and Gold!)
(daylilies - too many to name here!)

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

(daylilies - too many to name here!)

WhoooHoooo! Juniper Chase, Love Fest, Fairy Tale Pink, and Joan Senior
are all blooming out back today, Daveo Holman and Strutter's Ball are on
the side of the house. I'm in heaven!

Elizabeth
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*barnacle-encrusted bitch~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sheena wrote
I think you need to move them to more sun and that will make them stop
blooming for awhile. But they are worth waiting for!

I really envy the yard down the street, where peonies are planted the
entire length of a small iron fence dividing two yards--a peony hedge.
They completely cover the fence, although it clearly gives them support as
the heads don't fall down to the ground as I have seen with some plantings.
The blooms are in lovely old fashioned rose shades. When they come into
bloom against the full dark green foliage it is so beautiful. I wait for it
every year.
Dawne

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 21:42:46 -0300, wrote:

I have new neighbours on one side. They moved in a year ago
Christmas, so have seen my garden through one year plus now. This
past spring he said to me 'My wife thought your garden was a mess when
we moved in but could not believe what happened in the spring and
through the summer. She wants one just like it ' - To that end
they are buying plants like mad, bigger the better and sticking them
in everywhere ! My other neighbour (who is a gardener) is laughing
his head off too. She's very young yet, she has to learn that
gardening takes patience and sometimes you are not the one to see the
final result of what you planned.

Sheena

Sometimes in gardening you also need the ability to just shove
something in the dirt and say "Grow or not." and just leave the plant
to decide it's own fate. I couldn't have done that a few years ago,
now it's the way I plant my flower bed. Toss some seeds out and wait
to see what happens. I've had great success two years running that
way. I've got a huge yard with few plantings other than the usual
bushes to hide the house foundation. I've got great plans for the
yard, but last year I revised my 5 year gardening plan to a 10 year
one. This year's plantings were some rudbeckia and a thornless
blackberry vine, and hopefully an evergreen tree in the early fall.
Debra in VA

On 7/23/03 9:03 AM, in article , "Dr. Brat"
wrote:

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

(daylilies - too many to name here!)

WhoooHoooo! Juniper Chase, Love Fest, Fairy Tale Pink, and Joan Senior
are all blooming out back today, Daveo Holman and Strutter's Ball are on
the side of the house. I'm in heaven!

Elizabeth

Juniper Chase? Love the name!

Ok in the "quilt" garden, G.Willikers, Carousel Princess, Bugs Hug, Camden
Gold Dollar, Bertie Ferris, Three Seasons, Siloam June Bug, Lady Fingers,
Chorus Line, Saratoga Pinwheel.....

The long bed.... Don't ask! that one has 300+
Cheryl

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 18:30:54 -0300, wrote:

I also think it is nice to try and find plants that will like your
garden and not expect you to pamper them. If the plant was healthy
when I put it in and it didn't make it, I rarely plant that kind
again. For whatever reason, the garden did not suit it. I will go
as far as sometimes watering plants just before they bloom (thinking
the flowers will be better) but other than that, they have to make it
on their own.

Sometimes it is just the spot you planted it in that's the killer. I
have several plants that won't grow anywhere other than the spot they
are in now. I don't know why they only survive in one spot rather
than another, light is just right, water perfect, or whatever. It
seems like the north side of the house has a whole different climate
than the rest of the yard and certain plants like it better there.

In the early years before the perennials grew larger, I used to
scatter packets of seeds too. I once put in California Poppies, they
did too well. Four of five years of weeding finally eliminated them.

I fear that I will plant something that tries to take over the yard.
I check a website for my state that lists invasive plants before I am
willing to plant something. I also check a native plant list. If
something is on that list for my local area I can be fairly sure it
will grow in my yard. Some plants can't be grown in this red clay we
have for topsoil.

I heard Germaine Greer talking about gardening, she feels it is a
natural thing for women to enjoy after menopause! I believe she
could be right.

Sheena

Well I haven't hit menopause yet (have ten years or so til then) but I
have gotten the urge to "scratch in the dirt" as my aunt calls it.
Five years ago I would have said gardening is for the birds. Now I
want to plant things that will provide food and shelter for the birds.

Debra in VA

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 07:07:15 -0300, wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 03:06:32 GMT, Debra wrote:
I never thought about trimming off the blooms and leaving the rest as
a bush. I have been cutting the whole thing down to the ground when
the blooming is done. I am going to try it your way next year.

Hmmm, mine is huge and it's in poor soil (Virginia red clay). I
wonder if they do better in poor soil than in what most people would
call good soil.

Debra in VA


They are something like spring bulbs, they need their leaves for the
remainder of the season to generate the nutrition for the next year.
If you leave them this year I think you will find you have larger
blooms next. I take them away in the fall when they have wilted
down from the first frost just like Joan.

Sheena

I've been cutting mine down a week or two after the blooms die for a
couple of years, and the previous owner did too, and I don't know how
the blooms could be any bigger. They are as big as a luncheon plate,
and very full and heavy. I wish the blooms wouldn't make the plant
fall over, but I can't find a peony cage in my area. I've looked for
them for three years now. Tomato cages are as scarce as hen's teeth
too.

Debra in VA

On 7/25/03 2:46 PM, in article ,
"Debra" wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 07:07:15 -0300, wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 03:06:32 GMT, Debra wrote:
I never thought about trimming off the blooms and leaving the rest as
a bush. I have been cutting the whole thing down to the ground when
the blooming is done. I am going to try it your way next year.

Hmmm, mine is huge and it's in poor soil (Virginia red clay). I
wonder if they do better in poor soil than in what most people would
call good soil.

Debra in VA


They are something like spring bulbs, they need their leaves for the
remainder of the season to generate the nutrition for the next year.
If you leave them this year I think you will find you have larger
blooms next. I take them away in the fall when they have wilted
down from the first frost just like Joan.

Sheena

I've been cutting mine down a week or two after the blooms die for a
couple of years, and the previous owner did too, and I don't know how
the blooms could be any bigger. They are as big as a luncheon plate,
and very full and heavy. I wish the blooms wouldn't make the plant
fall over, but I can't find a peony cage in my area. I've looked for
them for three years now. Tomato cages are as scarce as hen's teeth
too.

Debra in VA

Walt Nickes catalog! and reasonable shipping charges!
Cheryl