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    Home » Garden Stuff » Flower Gardening

    Flower of the Week!
    The Peony

    June 19, 2011 by Karen 83 Comments

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    There are two things in life that instantly make me happy.

    The first is filling my car up with gas.  Not because I love filling my car up with gas. I hate filling my car up with gas.  As far as life's little pleasure's go, it's right up there with the family pet's wretched breath waking you up in the morning.  No, filling my car up with gas makes me happy because I know once I drive out of the gas station I have another 500 kilometres to go before I'll have to do it again.

    The second thing that makes me happy is when my Peony bush blooms.  No that is not a euphemism.

    A rose by any other name is a Peony.  Of all the women I know 90% of them would name the Peony as their favourite flower.   I'm completely making that statistic up, but it's somewhere around true.  It's political true, as opposed to hand over heart true.

    You can create a beautiful arrangement with a single Peony.  Can't say that about a rose.  Yes, a single rose is ... well ... cute.  But it's no Peony.

    If you have 2 or 3 Peonies, the simple beauty of them is almost breathtaking.  Which gives Peonies another leg up if what they happen to take the breath away from is your family pet.  Not alllll the breath.  Just the bad breath.

    Our cat let out some sort of gassy substance on the couch this morning.  We didn't know if it was a toot or her breath.  When you can't discern if the smell is coming out of the bum or the mouth, you know your pet has a breath problem.

    Back to the Peony!  After a year of waiting and a pretty miserable, cold spring my Peony bush has finally bloomed, which means I can finally cut a few flowers and bring them inside.

     

     

    It's only been in the past couple of years that I've felt like my Peony bush was big enough to cut from.  When you only have 3 flowers, it's kind of hard to whack one off and bring it inside.  That's the thing about Peony's.  They aren't what you'd call robust for the first few years.  In fact they're downright touchy.  The success you have when planting your Peony bush largely depends on how deep you plant it.  They don't like to be moved.  They like to stay put.  They're like the Waltons.

    So when you plant them, make sure you put them exactly where you want them.  Once they're in, they're in.  There's no moving them around.  Not if you want them to flourish.

    Also, if you're planting a potted Peony, make sure when you plant them, the soil line is exactly level.    If you plant them too deep with the soil line from the pot lower than the soil line in the garden it could take years for the Peony to bloom for you.  See?  I told you.  Touchy.  It's not surprising though.  Most beautiful things don't like to be disturbed.   Case in point, Naomi Campbell.    If you disturb Naomi Campbell she'll even take a swing at you.

     

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    The only thing you have to be mindful of with Peonies and bringing them indoors is their hitchhikers. Just tap the flowers while upside down a few times and you should be O.K.  The flowers have to be upside down. Not you.  Although that would work as well  I suppose.

     

    If you're thinking of planting a Peony bush, your best bet is to plant them in the fall.  Not when they're blooming and looking all pretty in the garden centres in the spring.  Planting in the fall gives the Peony the chance to develop a good root system, resulting in a faster blooming plant.

    If you already have a Peony bush you can split it in the fall.  Just make sure you don't disturb the roots too much and don't change the soil level.  The splits, should have at least 3 or 4 shoots coming from it, and remember to plant them at the exact right soil level to keep it happy.  You don't want it throwing a cell phone at your head out of anger.

    When planted correctly a Peony bush can live for a century.    That's 100 years of  this ...

     

    ... and in the evenings ... this.

    Every night when I walk through my dining room into the kitchen to get whatever snack it is I'm looking for I smile at the sight of my Peonies.  And not just an inside my head smile.  An actual smile.

    This smile usually lasts exactly until my  cat breathes on me.

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    1. Bridget

      June 29, 2011 at 8:10 pm

      Peonies were my grandmothers favorite flower. She left us almost 15 years ago. When we finished building our home earlier this year the very first flowers I planted were peonies. I planted three double supremes in red, white, and pink as well as a sorbet. I'm currently working on a weed garden...err cutting garden.

      Bridget
      Guide to Smart Shopping

      Reply
    2. SamiJ

      June 29, 2011 at 4:31 pm

      Give your cat some greens. You can grow catgrass in a regular plastic container. And try giving her some lettuce (my cat prefers boston bibb).

      Reply
    3. Wanda

      June 28, 2011 at 12:29 pm

      I also love peonies! I have 9 plants that have been in about 15 years. The last 2 years we have had incredibly cold weather for Texas and the resulting blooms have been gorgeous! Up to 90 blooms!

      In years when it is not so cold I try to make the roots think it is cold by dumping ice on the ground once a week. I don't know if it helps, but makes me feel good!

      Reply
      • Karen

        June 28, 2011 at 12:45 pm

        Wanda - Hah hah! Well that's innovative thinking isn't it? Tomorrow's post is about being innovative with plants and such. You've got that area covered apparently. :) ~ karen

        Reply
    4. HeatherB

      June 28, 2011 at 11:46 am

      Hi, I have enjoyed dropping by. I just wanted to say that I have in the course of 4 years managed to make 8 fair sized blooming peony bushes out of one weeded choked and sad one. I guess I didn't know you have to be careful of the soil level but I have just split them ( after the blooms die) and replant.Love the peonies.....PS I believe the ant thing buds almost open won't bloom inside for me.

      Reply
    5. Linda

      June 27, 2011 at 4:16 pm

      I'm with you on the full tank of gas feeling. Same feeling but better when you get a PAP...knowing you don't have to get another for another year is the BEST!

      Reply
    6. Hollie @ I'm Busy Procrastinating

      June 26, 2011 at 4:40 pm

      Peonies remind me of my grandmother. Since I haven't planted any bushes myself, I should go over to her house and swipe some flowers. Because they've been growing at her house for eons. Oh, and I appreciate that you share with us the biological things that your cat does. We have 4 cats, and they are always puking up a hairball or their very expensive food, and they are the reason I don't have many upholstered horizontal surfaces.

      Reply
    7. Renee

      June 25, 2011 at 7:49 am

      Saturday 4:45 a.m. (don't ask) location: rainy Seattle. Check: 5 Peony bushes still not in full bloom. Hello buds.....WAITING!

      Reply
    8. MyBluePeacock

      June 23, 2011 at 10:31 am

      I completely agree with you about peoniess! I plan to plant some this fall, now that I know that's the best time...Thanks!

      Reply
    9. Mary

      June 23, 2011 at 9:55 am

      Check out my peonies...and the little trick for prolonging blooms in the refrigerator....We used them as the only flowers for our daughters wedding...including her bouquet! Here's to PEONY POWER!
      http://sweetwaterstyle.blogspot.com/2011/06/ahhh-summer.html

      Reply
      • Karen

        June 23, 2011 at 10:17 am

        Thanks for the Peony pics Mary ... I'm going to have to tell one of my sisters about the "Coral Charm" strand. She was looking for exactly that colour last year! Thx. ~ karen

        Reply
    10. Kristen

      June 22, 2011 at 11:53 pm

      So hi, I found you via CentsationalGirl and now I plan to stalk you. You're funny. And not funny lookin funny but haha funny. I really laughed at stuff you wrote not just the oh that made me kinda smile inside so I'll type lol but the I snickered (I snickered quietly because my son and husband are asleep but I snickered just the same.) So thanks. I look forward to more of your stuffs!

      Reply
      • Karen

        June 23, 2011 at 12:04 am

        Thanks Kristen! Thanks for coming over to take a look, thanks for snickering and thanks for commenting on it. Overall ... thanks. ~ karen!

        Reply
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