Dear Iris

Peonies: old component of gardens

By JULIE JOHNSTON, Master Gardener Intern | May 03, 2012 

(Photo below borrowed from Doug Green's Garden - click title for link) 

“These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.”  Sound familiar? Even if you are not into musicals or even music, nearly everyone recognizes the song from “The Sound of Music.” 

 

I translate this theme to my garden, which has many of my favorite things. It seems though, that all of my favorite blooming flowers bloom in spring. My very favorite is the lilac, closely followed by peonies, iris, tulips and daffodils. Then, of course, there are the magnolia, rhododendron, flowering crab, flowering dogwood, redbud, serviceberry and ornamental pears. All are beautiful and bring us a sense of hope in spring. Today, I am going to concentrate on peonies, which are blooming already in some gardens, though they usually don’t bloom until later in May.

 

Paeoniaceae is the botanical family name for the peony, the luscious, fragrant spring blooming flower common in many Iowa gardens. I have peonies and love them. The only drawback is that their bloom time is far too short to suit me! I think I shall get more of them, perhaps some of the newer varieties and colors.
For those who are not overly familiar with peonies, in addition to Paeonia officinalis or common peony (known to gardeners as the herbaceous peony) there are also the Paeonia suffruticosa or tree peony, which isn’t really a tree, and the more recent addition to the peony family, the intersectional peony, a hybrid of the tree and herbaceous peonies. I only heard of the latter just recently.

I was privileged to hear Roy Klehm of Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery speak at the Iowa Arboretum Spring Fever Symposium. Klehm is a third-generation peony hybridizer whose grandfather Charles Klehm was a charter member of the American Peony Society formed in 1903. Local teacher Corey Klehm doesn’t think they are related. There aren’t a lot of Klehms spelled that way, so maybe he is a branch of that family tree.

It was not only interesting, but exciting as well to hear of the work hybridizers are doing in the peony world. Hybrids are the result of crossing two peony species resulting in colors of salmon, peach, coral, clear pink, fire-engine red and soft moonlight yellows. Some hybrids also improve standability, pest resistance and drought tolerance.

Peonies are a very old component of country gardens and mixed borders. As a cut flower, they have no equal. Alluringly fragrant blooms, lush foliage and a wide range of growth habits are key features. Success is guaranteed if you give the plant adequate sunlight, well-drained soil and sufficient moisture during the growing season. Peonies have a high degree of drought tolerance as well as pest and disease resistance, including deer damage. They are recommended to be hardy in USDA Zones 2-8. It is no wonder they have flourished in the Midwest and plains states. They are sturdy, hardy and require very little work to keep them happy for years.

The Intersectional or Itoh (ee-toe-ah) Hybrids were named in honor of Toichi Itoh, the originator of these unique hybrid peonies. They are the result of crossing the two main groups of peonies: the herbaceous and the tree or woody shrub peonies. Ornamentally, Itoh hybrids achieve the best of both parental worlds with the beautiful flowers and foliage of the woody tree peonies displayed on an herbaceous plant. Strong healthy plants form attractive dense, neat rounded bushes, shorter in stature than most tree peonies. Flowers are displayed above the handsome foliage that remains greener longer than their herbaceous parents. Intersectional hybrids are somewhat hardier than tree peonies and more tolerant of heat and humidity. They are recommended for Zones 4-8. Southern Iowa is Zone 5.

Klehm suggested that for cut flowers, you cut the stems long, bearing in mind that cutting more than one-third of the plant’s foliage and stems may affect the overall vigor and health of the plant.
Peonies can be cut when the first true color is evident on the bud. It is best to cut them in early morning and immerse immediately in water. Cut 0.5 inch off the stems UNDER WATER as you arrange them to prevent air blocking the intake of water. Be sure to remove any foliage that will be under water and change water daily to reduce bacteria. You might want to use a commercial flower food. Refrigerating will slow maturity while putting them in warm water will hasten the blooms. DO NOT refrigerate with fruit, as fruits emit methane gas, harmful to most flowers.

Peony fragrance is intensified after bringing indoors, perhaps the main reason peonies are one of my favorite things. Once you are familiar with these generous plants, they will be one of your favorite things, too.

Julie Johnston is a Master Gardener intern.