Peonies

Bartzella - Itoh Peony

Peonies are a traditional floral symbol in eastern art. Long before peonies were

introduced to the western world, artists in both China and Japan used the peony motif in

their art. They appears in paintings, on porcelain, as a design in embroidered clothing,

screen-paintings and tapestries. The peony symbolizes prosperity, happy life, good luck,

love, and rebirth of relationships. One of the main peony flower meanings is wealth. For

a very long time, peonies were exclusively flowers of Chinese emperors. They used to

decorate their balconies and royal gardens.

The name of this flower comes from Ancient Greek mythology. According to the myth ,

the peony flower is named after a Paeon, a healing deity and a student of Asclepius.

The legend says that Paeon was a very talented and bright apprentice. Eventually, he

showed a greater knowledge about medicine than Asclepius himself. Shortly after that,

Asclepius became jealous and tried to kill Paeon. But Zeus stopped him and saved

Paeon by turning him into the peony flower.

Choosing a Peony for your Garden

There are 3 types of peonies. Herbaceous, Tree and Itoh. They have different

space requirements in the garden and this needs to be considered before

purchasing.

O.J.E.S. tells us the following:

Herbaceous Peonies die back to the ground each autumn.

There are many types of herbaceous peonies, Anemone, Double, Japanese,

Semi-Double and Single.

Tree Peonies have woody above ground stems that remain throughout the year, much

like a small shrub. The leaves are deciduous.

Intersectional or ITOH are a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies. They die

back to the ground each year. The flowers and foliage are reminiscent of tree

peonies.

Planting a Peony

Dig a wide, shallow planting hole that’s only as deep as the soil in the pot you are

taking the peony out of. Carefully place the plant into the hole. Backfill with the

soil that came out of the hole. Water deeply and mulch the surrounding soil surface.

Fall, when they are dormant, is the best planting time but they can be planted in

the spring. If planting in the Fall, they need to be planted 6 weeks before theground freezes.

_Peonies need at least 6 hours of sun and preferably 8 hours of sun daily and

should be planted in well draining soil.

_If you plant it too deeply it will not flower for many years.

-Peonies should be planted about 3 feet apart from other plants.

Caring for your Peony

-Peonies need a cold period to form buds. This is not a problem in the

Kawarthas but an interesting fact.

-There are early, mid and late season bloomers. A mixture makes a nice show.

-A sheltered position in the garden away from too much wind is recommended.

-Peonies’ large blooms can make them top-heavy. You can use stakes to hold

them up, if necessary. Don’t plant them too close to trees or shrubs, as peonies

don’t like to compete for food and moisture as well as needing 6 to 8 hours of

sunlight each day.

-Peonies grow well on their own, however if you have poor soil you can fertilize

with a well balanced fertilizer after the blooms have died.

Exhibiting your Peony

O.J.E.S. tells us that all leaves except the uppermost are typically removed.

Specimens should be dis-budded unless the schedule calls for buds or multiple

blooms on one stem.

Freshness of flowers is always important.

Tree Peonies may be entered under “Flowering Shrubs” in a flower show if they

do not have a class of their own.

You can wrap freshly cut peony stems with buds (not too tight) in a damp paper

towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you’re ready to exhibit

them. When removing the peonies from the refrigerator, give the stems a fresh

cut and place them in lukewarm water to wake them up.

Bartzella