My Tree Peonies are Blooming
The tree peonies are blooming so beautifully in my garden right now! I hope you've seen my photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
I adore tree peonies and have been collecting them for quite some time. As many of you know, I have a long tree peony border planted in a semi-shade of giant sugar maples just outside my Summer House. Many of the specimens were transplanted from my Turkey Hill garden in Westport, Connecticut and over the years I've added many more - all of them continue to thrive here at my Bedford, New York farm. Unfortunately, the tree peony season is short - only about seven to 10 days, so I make sure not to miss them when they flower. I love seeing their colorful show every year.
Here are some photos, Enjoy.
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- These tall and striking sugar maple trees, Acer saccharum, are located at one corner of my farm – just outside my Summer House and its formal sunken garden. These maples are covered with climbing hydrangea, and beneath them is one of my favorite gardens this time of year…
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- …my tree peony garden. I love my curved border of tree peonies, Paeonia suffruticosa. There are very few plants that can compete with a tree peony in full bloom. They flower from late April to early May, but the season can often vary from year to year.
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- We started to see these gorgeous blooms begin to unfurl just last week – these petals are so delicate and pretty.
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- And then within days it was showing off its beautiful colors.
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- The tree peony, Paeonia suffruticosa, has upright flowers that bloom above the foliage.
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- And, unlike the more common herbaceous peonies, which flop over if not staked, tree peonies bloom on graceful woody stems.
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- Tree peony leaves are easily distinguished from herbaceous peonies by their dissected three pronged appearance.
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- Here is a white tree peony blooming perfectly. Although tree peonies can thrive in full sun, they prefer partial shade, with three to four hours of sunlight.
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- Tree peonies come in colors that include all ranges of white, yellow, pink, magenta, and dark maroon.
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- The pink varieties are more fragrant than the darker maroon flowers. This one has slightly ruffled petals with a gold center.
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- Here is a darker salmon variety still opening. This peony has enormous semi-double flowers. The petals are somewhat cupped, giving the flower a very full appearance. It also has a light, sweet fragrance.
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- Tree peonies typically reach only about four or five feet tall. Once their blooms have died, the green-leaved shrubs provide an attractive backdrop for other plants. They grow best in climates with hot summers and cold winters, making them great specimens for much of the eastern, midwestern, and western United States. I love how these looked backed by the blooming azaleas.
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- I have both Chinese and Japanese varieties. Chinese tree peonies are more robust and bushy. Their flowers are also more likely to be fragrant. Japanese types, by contrast, are renowned for their beauty and elegance.
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- Every year, these shrubs become more and more prolific, producing large flowers. And remember, tree peonies should not be cut back. Tree peonies are very slow growing and will not send forth new growth if pruned. The only cutting should be to remove any dead branches.
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- Here is a stunning majenta tree peony.
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- This peony has lovely pink flowers and a darker pink, burgundy, and gold center.
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- Smaller flowering plants grow among the peonies in this bed including Spanish Bluebells, late-blooming spring bulbs. These flowers are in the asparagus family, as are lily-of-the-valley and Adam’s needle. The flowers are a charming blue color, bell-shaped and about 3/4-inch long.
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- This is Ornithogalum. It features spear-like flower stems with multiple star-shaped white blooms.
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- And there are lots of beautiful bright green colored ferns.
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- Behind my Summer House, in the formal sunken garden, I have more tree peonies showing their colors. These are planted between the tall wall of American boxwood and the smaller European boxwood. Tree peony plants like to grow in soil that is well-drained, with a pH that is neutral or slightly alkaline. They will thrive in a loamy soil fortified with compost. Tree peonies have medium water needs and should not be overwatered – water deeply after the top four inches of soil have dried out.
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- This darker pink cultivar has several rows of petals around a golden interior – an eye catcher in this bed.
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- And look at this soft creamy yellow tree peony. Tree peonies are heavy feeders and respond well to a generous, early autumn top dressing of bone meal or rose fertilizer. The high potash content encourages flowers to develop. A light sprinkling of a general fertilizer can also be applied in spring.
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- Here’s a view from above the bloom.
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- The peony is a perennial plant that can survive up to 100-years when it is cultivated under optimal conditions. I look forward to many seasons of these most stunning flowers.
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