Alliums, Bearded Irises (Iris germanica), Siberian Irises (Iris siberica), Columbines (Aquilegia), Spring Bulbs, Roses, and tiny shrubs and trees are just a few of the companion plants that peonies appreciate.
What thrives next to a peony?
Peonies have held a special place in my heart since I was a young child. Maybe it was because my birthday was in June during their bloom period. Or my mother’s recurrent story about the extravagant peony bouquet Dad presented her during their early romance. I adored peony blossoms for their delicate hues, abundant blooms, and wonderful perfume. Like other June brides, I put peonies in my bridal bouquet, and they were the first perennials that I planted in my garden.
Although lovely on their own, peonies can be paired with other perennials and shrubs that will act as complements or offer contrasts in shape, form or texture. Examples of peony mates from my own garden and those I’ve seen are shown below.
In my garden, pale pink peonies are combined with purple heuchera, the bright leaf of the young weigela ‘My Monet,’ and geranium ‘Biokovo.
Catmint’s spiky shape and delicate blue hue match many varieties of peony, as seen at The Mount.
The powerful architectural form that Digitalis gives contrasts well with peony blossoms.
On the Bridge of Flowers near Shelburne Falls, peonies are paired with pale pink poppies and alliums.
I like to tuck purple heucheras and Johnson’s Blue geraniums beneath peonies.
Siberian and bearded irises’ enormous blossoms and statuesque forms make them excellent companions for peonies.
Peonies look beautiful against the spires of blue, white, purple, or yellow baptisia blooms.
In Pennsylvania’s Ambler Arboretum, double peonies’ conspicuous blossoms are balanced by the huge allium flower heads.
This spring at Longwood Gardens, a major planting feature was this gorgeous combination of coral peonies and purple alliums.
Hellebores and perennial geraniums are overtaken by a waterfall of pale pink peonies. As long as they receive regular watering, hellebores grow well in sunny areas.
In a Delaware garden, a boxwood hedge provides a regal and peaceful backdrop for peonies.
Rhododendrons and mountain laurels are two shrubs that flower at the same time as peonies and make lovely companions. A number of vintage “beauty bush” (kolwitzia) shrubs, which can be trained into a tree form or left as a weeping shrub, surround the peony garden in Winterthur.
Coral peonies are beautifully framed by the Cotinus ‘Golden Spirit’ smoke tree at Longwood Gardens. In my yard, the weigela “Wine and Roses” contrasts with the peony “Karl Rosenfeld’s” black blossoms.
Peonies in bud and bloom look magnificent against the maroon leaf of a Japanese maple named “Crimson Queen.”
An ivy-covered stone wall that provides both decorative and practical support for the peonies in my cutting garden. On chilly spring days, it provides warmth and protects the peonies from the wind.
What may I grow as a support crop in front of the peonies?
Think about utilizing short shrubs like sweet box, dwarf hollies, dwarf azaleas, or rhododendrons. Selecting evergreen bushes will help you add interest throughout the year. Shrubs provide a natural support for top-heavy peony flowers as well as assist hide the base of peony plants.
Burgundy Bunny Fountain Grass
A dwarf ornamental grass that grows 12 to 16 inches tall is called Burgundy Bunny fountain grass. Plants show a few red leaves in the summer, then turn completely red in the fall.
Where should peonies not be planted?
The peony has the fattest, most delicious petals and rich green foliage, making it outrageously attractive when it is in bloom. From spring to summer, savor stunning floral displays. Learn how to care for, grow, and plant peony.
About Peonies
Peonies are a perennial that will steal your breath away every year. The plants may even outlive you—some have been reported to survive for at least a century.
When Is Peony Season? When Do Peonies Bloom?
Depending on your location and the kind you are planting, peonies bloom from late spring to early summer.
You may extend the peony season across several weeks and take use of those magnificent blossoms for as long as possible thanks to the abundance of nurseries that provide early, midseason, and late blooming types.
Peonies may thrive as far south as Zones 7 and 8, and they are hardy to Zone 3. The key to success in the majority of the United States is to provide full light and well-drained soil. Peonies even enjoy the winter’s coldness because it helps their buds grow.
Types of Peony Flowers
You can pick from six different varieties of peony flowers: anemone, single, Japanese, semi-double, double, and bomb. The odors of different plants also differ; some, like “Festiva Maxima” and “Duchesse de Nemours,” have seductive rose-like aromas, while others have a lemony scent or none at all.
Where to Plant Peonies
When planted as a low hedge or along sidewalks, peonies make excellent sentinels. As majestic and dignified as any flowering shrub, the peony’s bushy cluster of attractive glossy green leaves lasts all summer before turning purplish-red or gold in the fall.
Peonies work nicely with irises and roses in mixed borders and blossom alongside columbines, baptisias, and veronicas. Plant pink peonies with blue Nepeta or violets, then surround white peonies with yellow irises and a froth of forget-me-nots.
Peonies are not overly picky, but you should pick your place carefully because they dislike disruption and do not transplant well.
Although they can survive in partial shade, peonies like full sun, and they flower at their best in an area that receives 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day.
Because of its huge flowers, peonies can become top-heavy in severe winds. Therefore, provide shelter. (If necessary, stakes can be used to hold them up.) Planting too close to trees or bushes will cause peony to compete with them for nutrients, sunlight, and moisture.
Grow peony in rich, wet, humus-rich soil that is deep, fertile, and well-draining. pH in the soil should be neutral.
When to Plant Peonies
As long as they are planted correctly and become established, peony plants require minimal upkeep. However, keep in mind that they do not adapt well to transplanting, so you should consider this when choosing your planting location.
- Plant peony in the fall: in the majority of the United States, in late September or early October, and even later in the fall in Zones 7 and 8. Your planting zone can be found here.
- If you need to move an established plant, the fall is the ideal season because the plant will be dormant.
- About six weeks before the ground freezes, peonies should be planted.
- While planting peonies in the spring is absolutely a possibility, the results aren’t always favorable. They often trail behind plants planted in the fall by roughly a year, according to experts.
How to Plant Peonies
- Peonies are typically offered as divisions of a 3- or 4-year-old plant, bare-root tubers with 3 to 5 eyes (buds).
- Peonies should be placed 3 to 4 feet apart to allow for enough air circulation. The development of disease can be facilitated by stagnant, damp air.
- In a sunny area, dig a generously sized hole that is about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide. The inclusion of organic matter in the planting hole will improve the soil. Add additional compost to the soil to improve it if it’s sandy or heavy. Add about a cup of bonemeal to the ground. Find out more about soil improvements and getting the soil ready for planting.
- The roots should be positioned in the hole just 2 inches below the soil’s surface, with the root’s eyes facing upward on top of a mound of soil. Avoid planting too deeply! Choose early-blooming species, put them approximately 1 inch deep, and provide some shade in southern states.
- Backfill the hole after that, being careful to prevent soil settlement and a 2-inch root burying. Gently tamp the ground.
- Plant a container-grown peony no deeper than it was when it was in the pot.
- When planting, give everything plenty of water.
How to Care for Peonies
Young peony take time to develop, just like children. In order to establish themselves, blossom, and flourish, they typically require a few years. They eventually leave home on their own, fully grown and adjusted… No, that’s just kids, I suppose.
Peonies benefit from gentle neglect. They don’t require digging and dividing every few years like the majority of perennials do.
- Don’t use any fertilizer. Before planting, till the soil thoroughly while adding compost and a small amount of fertilizer.
- Early summer, after the peonies have flowered and you have deadheaded the blooms, is the ideal time to apply fertilizer (such as bonemeal, compost, or well-rotted manure) to a soil that is deficient in nutrients. Keep fertilizing to a few years at most.
- assist the stems Peonies’ stems, which occasionally are not strong enough to hold their enormous blossoms, are the only part of their structure that may be considered weak. Think of structures that allow the plant to grow through the middle of the support, like three-legged metal peony rings or wire tomato cages.
- Peony blossoms should be deadheaded as soon as they start to fade, cutting to a sturdy leaf so that the stem doesn’t protrude through the foliage. To prevent any infections from overwintering, trim the foliage to the ground in the fall.
- Avoid covering peonies with mulch. For the first winter following planting, you can VERY LOOSELY mulch with pine needles or shredded bark when the winters are bitterly cold. In the spring, get rid of the mulch.
Peonies bloom between late spring and early summer, but by planting a variety of cultivars, you may arrange your garden for a succession of blooms from mid-May to late June. Here are a few options:
- ‘Early Scout’ has red solitary flowers that open incredibly early.
- “Firelight”: very early-blooming, single, pale-pink flowers
- ‘Karl Rosenfield’: double, midseason bloomer with substantial crimson blooms
Can you plant peonies and lavender together?
Peony flowers, a traditional component of the perennial border, give a brilliant splash of color to the environment. By combining them with companion plants like perennials, flower bulbs, or even ornamental grasses, you may add accent elements to your borders that have a particular shape, texture, height, or color.
Peonies only bloom for about 7–10 days, which is not very long. They are categorized with a blooming time that ranges from Very Early to Very Late season, although they do not flower at the same time. Therefore, you can choose to plant a variety of varieties, from Very Early- to Very Late season bloomers, to fill your garden with continuously flowering peonies throughout the season.
Here is a plant combination in white and lavender to help you plan your late spring or early summer garden. It comprises three gorgeous peonies that will bloom one after the other: “Miss America” (Early Midseason), “Cheddar Charm,” and “Bowl of Cream” (Late Midseason).
For a longer show, they are interplanted with three outstanding Tall Bearded Irises with various flowering times: “Belgian Princess” (midseason), “Hold My Hand” (late midseason), and “Twilight Rapture” (Late Season).
A dwarf Delphinium called “Magic Fountain Lavender,” two architectural Lupines called “Manhattan Lights” and “Gallery Yellow,” and Meadow Rue’s dense, fluffy panicles of lavender are blended with all of them (Thalictrum aquilegifolium).
The majority of plants make wonderful fresh cut flowers that can be enjoyed at home!
Can hydrangeas be planted next to peonies?
Peonies and hydrangeas can make excellent planting partners because peonies bloom earlier in the year than hydrangeas. After they are finished, the plant will start to die back, allowing hydrangeas to take center stage.
Peonies prefer a protected location and do well in either full sun or light shade. Additionally, as long as the soil is free draining, they can tolerate most soil types.