Staking the Herbaceous Peonies
The peony stakes are up, which means the countdown to bloom is on!
It's one of the most anticipated sights on the farm - when my herbaceous peony garden is in full bloom. It's usually late May or early June when the beds are filled with large, imposing flowers. True perennials, herbaceous peonies can live for 100-years, becoming more impressive over time. As soon as the peonies are a few inches tall, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew put up the stakes that support them through the season - stakes I designed myself. At maturity these plants, which grow to about three-feet tall, need propping up, so their massive flower heads don’t droop to the ground.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Have you staked your peonies yet? Herbaceous peonies are very hardy perennials and thrive in USDA zones 3 to 8. In early spring, most of the herbaceous peonies begin emerging from the ground, but they grow very quickly and need to be supported to protect the large heavy flowers.
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- 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 blossoms.
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- Instead of rings that are available at many garden centers, I use these metal stakes I designed myself for my farm. Each metal support has two eyes, one at the top and one in the middle. The stakes are about three feet tall.
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- The first step is to insert a stake every four-feet around the perimeter 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.
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- Once they are in position, they are pushed down several inches deep into the ground. These herbaceous peonies are all surrounded in the garden within a hedge of rounded boxwood shrubs, making it a focal point on the property and in the overall landscape.
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- Each of the stakes is faced in the same direction, so the eyes are also lined up uniformly.
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- Phurba begins lacing twine through the middle stake eyes in a zigzag pattern all the way down the row. Herbaceous peonies need an area with fertile, well-drained soil and full sun.
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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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- The first pass looks like this, but there is still a lot more to do.
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- Once the bottom is done, Phurba laces the top row in the same manner.
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- Matthew works from the middle to make sure nothing gets tangled in the process.
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- A line of twine is also run down the center. 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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- At the end of the bed, the twine is secured to one of the eyes.
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- Another line of twine is also secured around the entire row to hold all those heavy blooms at the edge.
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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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- Here, one can see there is about a foot of space in between the top and middle eyes – enough room to support the stems at different levels.
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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.
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- Herbaceous peony stems are soft and flexible, allowing them to bend. They grow annually, producing new growth from the crown in spring.
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- The growing stems are already well positioned in between the strands of twine.
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- And like clockwork, the buds are now forming. In just a few short weeks, this garden will be filled with stunning shades of pink and white. I am so happy this garden is such a huge success every year.
Martha Pins
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