Since 2016, Parkland Peonies, based in Alberta, Canada, has been striving to offer its customers premium Martagon Lily bulbs, cut flower stems, and peony roots at competitive prices.
Every customer is important to us, and we appreciate your patronage, encouragement, and assistance in learning how to produce peony in your own backyard.
As one of the top suppliers of peonies in Canada, Parkland Peonies is committed to expanding and modernizing our root stock selection each year. You can find peony here if you’re wondering where to buy them in Canada.
As of right now, we offer 650 different Peony varieties and more than 50 different Martagon Lily varieties. Some of them are more traditional variations, while others are the newest products available.
We want to offer our customers’ gardens the best and most versatile variety of Peony colors, sizes, and shapes, and we hope you enjoy our peony selection as much as we do.
Although we enjoy seeing peonies all around Alberta and in our Calgary neighborhood, our objective is to introduce and offer our magnificent Peony plants to Canadian family gardens. We consider peonies to be one of the most exquisite-looking perennials that can enhance any landscape, and given their lengthy lifespan, they have the potential to become a heritage plant that is passed down from one generation to the next.
Peonies: do they grow in Calgary?
Paeonia lactiflora, or herbaceous peony, are excellent plants for Calgary gardens. They have a very long lifespan and are tough, drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and deer-resistant.
Although peonies are fairly simple to grow, occasionally plants do not bloom adequately. There are numerous explanations that could apply. The peony may have been buried too far; the “eyes” should not be buried deeper than five centimeters (two inches). Dig up the peony if necessary, then replant it at the right depth.
Peonies need four to six hours of direct sunlight per day. Too much shade will make a peony tall and leggy, and it won’t bloom well. The quantity of blooms will also be decreased due to root competition from trees or bushes.
Blooming will be hampered by excessive or inadequate fertilization. The plant may require nutrients if flower buds form but don’t bloom. Top-dress the plant with compost to fertilize it, being careful not to cover the plant’s crown. Peonies without buds and rich green foliage might have received too much fertilizer.
Although peonies are relatively resistant of drought, very dry conditions can cause a plant to become so stressed that it will not blossom. The flower buds could also be harmed by a late frost.
Be tolerant. A peony may take several years to reach the blooming stage after being planted, moved, or divided.
Large double peonies that have flimsy stems and need to be anchored. The bulky flowers can be supported by a peony ring or wire cage. Choose one of the many varieties of peonies that do not require support, such as species peonies (Paeonia anomala, Paeonia tenuifolia), peonies with single flowers, if you choose not to stake.
And yes, your peonies will have ants on them. Plants are not harmed by them. Don’t forget to shake the flowers before bringing them inside.
When may fresh peony be purchased?
You shouldn’t have too much issue locating some fresh-cut peonies if it’s spring and you’re trying to buy some. And at this time of year, you shouldn’t have to pledge your firstborn in exchange for a peony bouquet. Peony blooms in the spring. Peonies normally begin blooming in April and continue through some time in June, with May being the peak of peony season.
Even though peonies are often expensive, the best deal may be found by purchasing them during their prime season. The size and attention-grabbing nature of peony is one of their outstanding qualities. This implies that you are not required to possess a pricey peony bouquet. Just a few peonies mixed in with some other blossoms can be equally eye-catching.
Peonies can be purchased all year round.
Peonies are also excellent for creating an exotic effect, especially the Coral Charm type. This coral beauty will form a stunning bouquet when combined with a variety of yellows and vivid pinks.
One of the most crucial things to understand about peony is that they are, regrettably, not available all year round (which is probably what makes us love them all the more).
In actuality, they are normally only offered from May through August (in the UKoften from Spring in the US).
As a result, peonies may occasionally cost a little bit more than other flower types, and some brides have even been known to organize their entire wedding around peony season!
What is the price of real peonies?
Generally speaking, peonies cost more than roses. When it comes to cost, The Enchanted Florist and Flirty Fleurs rank peonies higher than roses. Peonies are priced (wholesale) at roughly $3 to $9 per stem according to ValuePenguin, but garden roses are priced at about $4 to $7 per stem. This split is not always accurate, though, as expenses can differ greatly based on a number of variables.
When should peony 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’: midseason-blooming, double with large crimson blossoms
In Alberta, when can peony be planted?
If you share our love of June peonies, you might want to think about cultivating one. We sought help from Nancy Fortune, our previous editor-in-mother chief’s and an enthusiastic gardener with 20 different peony kinds.
Gardeners have long preferred peonies, and with good reason—they are simple to grow, rarely infected by pests or diseases, and frequently smell wonderful. The plants retain their beauty after the bloom has faded until the first frost and frequently turn an autumnal bronze. They don’t cause any damage, but they do grow with time. What is there to dislike? You too can grow these amazing statement plants with a little bit of expertise.
Take in the sights and fragrances as you stroll through your neighborhood in June when the peonies are flowering. See what appeals to you. Visit a public garden or a peony display. Picking out your favorites in June is fantastic, but planting is not recommended. merely planning The Canadian Peony Society states that the best time to plant newly dug roots is in the fall; however, if you purchased a potted root, you can plant it once the weather is reliably warm in the spring.
Are peony currently available?
a brief response? Sometimes. most of the time, perhaps! During its brief local growing season, you can find these fresh blossoms at your local farmer’s market for a reasonable price, but flower retailers impose large markups.
Keep in mind that late April through June is the typical growing season. The best time of the year to buy peony bouquets is now and always will be.
Quick Tip: Although you’ll pay quite a premium, florists can frequently find peony flowers all year long. They can be flown and transported anywhere as a cut bloom because the growing season differs around the globe! The ideal months in the US to book them are May and June if you need them for a wedding or impending event.
Is it difficult to grow peonies?
I’ve long been in love with peonies, including herbaceous, intersectional, and tree varieties. I adore their classic elegance, vibrant colors, stunning flowers, and, of course, exuberant scent. Peonies belong in every garden, and every gardener should incorporate them.
Why grow peonies?
Peonies have a rather brief flowering season, which discourages many people from cultivating them. They may believe that there are more cost-effective and colorful plants available, yet when in bloom, peonies are incomparable.
Peonies are regarded by many gardeners as being a challenging plant to grow. The peony blossom is actually a fantastic low maintenance plant, ideal for both inexperienced and seasoned gardeners.
The peony bloom is astounding in its sheer size. Many intersectional peonies, also known as Itoh peonies (a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies), produce blossoms the size of dinner plates in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, pink, and purple. Beautiful single, semi-double, and double flowers are available.
Although some are more fragrant than others, most peony are fragrant. For instance, the lovely double white blossom Paeonia lactiflora ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ AGM has a cream center and the most delicious scent. Paeonia lactiflora ‘Catharina Fontijn’ is one of my favorites. It features delicate blush blossoms that give off a lovely but potent fragrance.
So the peony has fragrant, magnificent, and eye-catching blossoms. What else can you get from this plant? Contrary to the widely believed belief that peonies are delicate and difficult to manage, they are actually very hardy and simple to grow. For a while, they will live contentedly in a reasonably large container, but ultimately they will be happier in the ground.
What are the 3 rules for growing perfect peonies?
With peony, there are a few things to keep in mind, but if you do them correctly, you’ll enjoy decades of hassle-free gardening and the most exquisite display of color and perfume that just gets better with time.
Don’t dig deep
Do not bury your peonies too deeply. Less than 2.5 cm below the surface is the maximum depth at which the tuberous roots may be buried. Some intersectional peonies, like “Bartzella” AGM or “Julia Rose,” have finely cut leaves that become scarlet red in the spring and autumn, while many herbaceous or garden peonies have strong red stems and light green soft foliage, but they simply will not flower if they are planted any deeper.
If a peony in your yard isn’t blooming, it’s usually because you planted it too deeply or you meticulously mulched the borders, which resulted in burying it. Simply wait until the fall and then lift your peony and replant it at the proper depth, being careful not to damage the buds on the roots.
Sun’s out, peonies out
Your peony should be planted in a sunny area. Even while many types, including Paeonia lactiflora ‘White Wings,’ can handle moderate shade, if your peony bloom is in excessive shade, it won’t flower as well.
Drain well
Put your peony on soil that is rich and well-draining. These flowers normally don’t care too much about the soil and do well in free-draining chalky or clay soils. In the winter, they dislike sitting in water.
You can see that the guidelines primarily concern planting your peony. Your peony will be happy to be left alone once it has been planted. In actuality, you most likely don’t need to feed your peony if you have rich, nutritious soil.
A balanced, all-purpose fertilizer like Growmore applied in the spring should work if your soil isn’t the best. In order to prevent peony wilt, it is also a good idea to trim back and remove the dead leaves in the autumn.
Bonus peony growing tips
Peonies are dependable garden performers since they require little upkeep. They won’t overgrow your garden like triffids; most of them will only reach heights of 80 to 90 cm and widths of 60 to 80 cm. They disappear during the winter and reappear in the spring to continue to delight you (this does not apply to tree peonies, whose woody stems are present all year).
Generally speaking, they do not actually suffer from illnesses and pests, and once established, they require minimal maintenance. In fact, deer and rabbits don’t bother them either, which makes them perfect for gardens in rural areas.
Let’s dispel a different misconception about peony flowers while we’re talking about them, which is that they dislike being relocated. The plants should be carefully lifted in the fall and replanted or divided, subject to regulation number 1 (above). Do not overwater them if you are putting them in a container and keep 3-5 buds on each piece of divided root. That’s how simple it is.
You must be patient since peonies need time to mature. Even though it would seem alluring to buy a smaller, less expensive plant and wait for it to develop, my recommendation is to select a well-established peony that is at least 3-5 years old or more in order to guarantee success.