Staking My Herbaceous Peonies
The gardens at my Bedford, New York farm are changing every single day.
One of the most anticipated sights on the farm is my herbaceous peony garden in full bloom. No garden is complete without these beautiful plants, which show off their large, imposing flowers in May and June. True perennials, herbaceous peonies can live for 100-years, becoming more impressive over time. Last week, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew staked all the herbaceous peonies in the garden across from my Winter House. At maturity, these plants, which grow to about three-feet tall, need good support, so their massive flower heads don’t droop to the ground.
Here are some photos of our process, enjoy.
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- It’s almost peony time. In just about five weeks, rows and rows of stunning pink and white herbaceous peonies will be flowering here at my farm. Here is just one of many buds.
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- Herbaceous peonies are very hardy perennials and thrive in USDA zones 3 to 8. In early April, most of the herbaceous peonies begin emerging from the ground, but they grow very quickly. Here they are April 10…
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- … And these are the peonies two weeks later. Once the stems are several inches tall, it’s time to stake each of the rows of peonies, so they are well-bolstered as they mature. I planted various peony flower types in this bed: single, semi-double, double, and anemone-type.
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- The stems of these herbaceous peonies are soft, flexible, and mostly green. They are much different from the woody stems of the tree peonies.
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- Peonies are native throughout the northern hemisphere and have been cultivated for centuries both in Europe and Asia.
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- These herbaceous peonies are all surrounded by a hedge of rounded boxwood shrubs, making it a focal point on the property and in the overall landscape here at my farm.
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- The first step is to weed all the rows. This is still easy to do since the plants are small.
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- When staking, instead of the round rings that are available at many garden centers, I prefer to use these metal stakes that I designed myself for my farm. Each metal support has two eyes, one at the top and one in the middle. These stakes are about three feet tall.
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- Phurba starts by inserting a stake every four-feet around the perimeter and down the center of each row. My peony garden is planted with 11 double rows of 22 herbaceous peony plants, 44 in each row of the same variety. Because there are so many rows, Phurba works to position the stakes…
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- … As Josh follows pushing the stakes several inches deep into the ground.
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- Each of the stakes is positioned, so the eyes face the same direction.
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- Here, all the stakes are in place. Herbaceous peonies need an area with fertile, well-drained soil and full sun.
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- The next day, Phurba begins lacing twine through the lower stake eyes in a zigzag pattern all the way down the row.
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- Twine is also fed through the stake eyes for a center line.
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- We use a natural jute twine for this project and for many gardening projects around the farm. Twine like this is available in large spools online and in some specialty garden supply shops.
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- Once the bottom is done, Phurba knots another string of twine in the upper eye of a corner stake and laces the top row in the same manner.
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- I designed the eyes to be big enough for the many threads of twine. These have worked so well for me over the years.
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- Twine is also secured around the entire row through the top and bottom stakes to hold all those heavy blooms at the edge.
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- It takes several hours to do all the beds, but it’s the perfect time to stake them since they are not yet full height.
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- Here is what a row looks like all done – very neat and tidy, and every peony plant supported by twine. The stakes and twine create such an artistic and geometric pattern.
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- This technique allows support from every direction. I am so happy to say, this garden is a huge success and joy every year. Wait until you see all the peonies – it’s a beautiful sight.
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