Peonies. Fluffy, flouncy, many petaled, scented beauties. I think most of us know what they are right? However, did you know that peonies are not ALL double petaled? That not all have scent? Some peonies almost resemble poppies. That there are 6 weeks of bloom cycle - and you can buy different varieties? Did you also know that peonies can actually grow in California--albeit a cooler area of the state?

I think most of us think of the big fat peonies growing in Grandma’as garden when we hear peony season. Here on the farm we grow thousands of peony bushes for that spring bloom. We sell them to designers for events and weddings, to our local customers in our annual peony share (3 weeks of beauties!), and also tuck them into our bouquets for our local customers.

One of my favorite things to do here on the farm is to try unique things. That means you might see peonies that you haven’t seen before. Maybe they only have 5 petals, or they don’t have a scent but they have the most exquisite chalice form. There are thousands of peony varieties out there, so many to try!

In this blog today I’m going to give you a few of our favorite tips on how to grow peonies in your own gardens.

Planting & Feeding:

Peonies are pretty easy as perennials go. They prefer full sun but will grow in some shade. They’ll grow in almost any soil as long as it’s well drained. The roots are strong and they can push through clay, so they thrive in our rocky clay PA soil here in zone 6b. Peonies need to be planted fairly shallowly in order to set blooms. Many people plant them too deeply as you would a perennial or similar, but we plant peony roots just under the soil line and if there are visible eyes we set them about 2” under the ground. If you have issues with erosion, add another inch or so, or just keep an eye on that soil level as time goes on.

We plant using mushroom compost, our regular ground clay, and a local fertilizer of 3-4-5. You can also use things such as Sea Grow which we love for our other plants, and liquid dose the plants once or twice a year. At the end of the year, mow or cut down the foliage and new foliage will appear in early spring for that year.

Roots vs Plants:

We buy peonies in usually as dormant roots. We plant them in fall or spring depending on when we are able to get the time to put them in. They will be ok either way! The upside of planting in fall is that the plant won’t break dormancy, so it puts all it’s energy into making root growth. In spring plantings, the roots will push foliage and then the plant needs to support that all summer. It takes some of the energy from the roots. However, if you get a root in spring, just put it in. If you buy a plant at a nursery, put it in whenever is best for you, just make sure to keep it watered and weeded through a hot summer.

Etched Salmon peony, no scent but exquisite form.

Cutting and Storing:

The ‘best’ time to cut your peonies for cut flowers is when they are in the marshmallow stage. This means that the bud is still closed and is squishy when pressed. Cut too tight and it won’t open. If it opens, then your vase life is slightly diminished, but perfectly fine for home enjoyment. You can also store your peonies in the closed soft form in a fridge or floral cooler. In a fridge, I wouldn’t store more than a few days to a week as you don’t have the same humidity to support the petals as in a floral cooler, but you can definitely cut your buds to bring inside and enjoy over a few weeks if you cut them early. We store them dry, wrapped heads in our cooler. Then when you are ready to enjoy, cut the ends, rehydrate in water and bring into the home.

Extending the Season:

Peony season for us is fast and furious. Once they start to ripen, we usually cut every stem to store within 3 weeks. However, if you really want to enjoy the full 6 weeks of peony season in your gardens, plant early bloomers and late bloomers along with your mid-season. Popular early bloomers are Coral Fay, Lemon Chiffon, and Athena. Some later favorites are Myrtle Gentry, Sarah Bernhardt and Elsa Sass.

For the first time in 2020, we sold peony roots to our customers for planting in their own gardens. Look for new pages online in 2021 mid-spring or summer if you are interested in purchasing or follow us online to be sure to get all the happenings!

A dark red single peony in our landscape.

How to Grow Peonies in our 6b Climate