Flower Power Friday....Beautiful Peonies

It has been a very very busy week.  I have been hard at work preparing for the Saco Sidewalk Art Festival this Saturday 9am-4pm.  The weather is looking a little questionable with rain.  Last year was my first year there and when I arrived it was pouring down rain and was cloudy and light shower most of the day.  This year we have had a heat wave with the so call 3 HHH's (hazy,hot and humid).  A cold front is approaching ever so slowly and my be around through Saturday which means possible thunderstorms.  BUMMER!  You know for the most part I accept what ever weather comes by way when I do these festivals.  It is just part of the job.  But you know it wouldn't hurt to have some nice weather for my first show of the season.  You know what I mean!  Saco is celebrating 250th Anniversary so I hope the people will come rain or shine.

The Peony is absolutely my most favorite flower I have ever grown!  The Peonies here are single bloom, but they come in a gorgeous double blooms and many other types of blooms too.  Some are very fragrant too!  Colors are mostly pinks and whites.  Some rich dark pinks almost burgundy color.   There are yellows and coral colors which are beautiful and expensive to have.

These flowers are in a shrub form and are great alone or as a border.  They bloom in the late Spring.  Transplanting them should be done in the fall.  They do very well in cool climates.  So they may not do so well in the South unless shaded.  They do prefer full sun.  Very hardy and deer resistant!  Once the flowers have bloomed they should be deadheaded.  The Peony shrub will stay green all season.  In the fall they should be cut back to make way for the new growth in the Spring.

Just a note...in the Spring before the Peonies get too big you should get a peony hoop support for them.  The flowers makes the shrub very top heavy and the peony hoop support will keep them off the ground.  You can get these supports at almost any garden center.

Here is a link where you can get alot more information and where to buy some of these beauties.  www.songsparrow.com They also have a great selection of hostas and daylilies.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Flower Power Friday!

This weeks flower is the beautiful Peony.

 

The Peony is one of my favorite all time flowers.  They have big blooms (3-5 inches) and are beautiful in bouquets or arrangements and some smell fabulous!  These flowers are often used in bridal bouquets.

They come in a variety of colors and blossom types.  I have mostly pinks and whites, but there are also corals, bright pinks, yellows and even a lime green.  Their blossom types a varied too, from double blooms, singles, semi-doubles and one they call the bomb, it is a single bloom with a mini double in the center.  If you are a Peony lover check out Klehm's Song Sparrow Perennials.  They have a huge selection of Peonies and a ton of information.



Peonies are relatively easy to grow.  The best time to plant or transplant Peonies are in the Fall.  They well reseed themselves if you don't deadhead the flowers.  Which was a surprise to me.  I didn't deadhead one year and the next year I had dozens of new peonies.  They won't flower for a year or two.  In fact this year out of those first dozen, the few that I transplanted are showing buds this year.  I am curious to see what color and blossom types I will get.  They like sunny to partial sunny areas.  They do better is cooler climates.  Peonies don't do will in heat and will diminish with too much rain.  Most Peonies will need support.  The flowers makes them very top heavy and will drop to the ground.  There are Peony hoops that can be bought at any garden center.  Peonies are also deer resistant!

 

Peonies look beautiful in almost any location in your garden, they also make a great border!

Have a great weekend!  Happy gardening!