One of my favorite growing seasons is here…peony season! I have recently grown to love peony flowers ever since we moved and I could actually plant some in our garden! I planted my first one the spring we moved in and two years later it is growing and thriving! Every new growing season, I have gotten double the amount of blooms! I really want to try and plant one new variety each spring and so far I have 2 different kinds in our garden! I wanted to share some tips and tricks I have learned on growing these beautiful flowers in your own backyard garden!
TIP #1: Have some patience! You may not get blooms for possibly 2-3 years but I promise your patience will pay off. Peonies double in growth each year and the payoff is big as peonies can last a lifetime and live and thrive for 100 years! Early spring when they are just coming out in the garden centers is the best time to plant them and I always try and pick a plant that has a least one bloom on it!
TIP #2: I have made the mistake time and again of picking the blooms too late and therefore the vase life is just a bit too short! The best time to pick blooms is when the bud is in the “marshmallow” stage. You can tell because they are kind of squishy to touch and the bud has just started to color up. I try and bring them in here and place right in a vase. They should bloom and open up within 24-48 hours.
TIP #3: If you have ever grown peonies, you will know that ants LOVE them! I always have a few ants on my peony buds and I simply rinse the buds in cold water in the sink before placing in the vase. If you bring them in at bud stage it is easy to get the ants off. In bloom you may have to pick through the petals to get the ants off.
TIP #4: Lastly, peonies unfortunately have short bloom times! BUT if you plant a few different varieties (an early spring bloom, mid spring and a late bloomer) you can get peonies in bloom for possibly 6 weeks or longer! I have been trying to that and so far it has worked! Also, once the bloom period is over, leave the plant alone! I do not prune them like I would a rose or hydrangea bush! They will continue to stay nice and green until the first frost and that will ensure the extra growth the plant needs for the next growing season!
Peonies truly are one of my most favorite flowers and I hope these tips help you in growing a few in your own backyard garden!
Can you share tips / tricks on growing hydrangeas? I just planted one and I’m not sure what I need to do but I loooove them!
Yay! I love hydrangeas! They do take a few years to establish I have learned. Be sure to water them daily once planted. That is my biggest piece of advice especially in their first summer. It took ours about two or three seasons to really become established and start growing so patience is key! Enjoy!