There are some flowers whose brief moment of glory may put you off growing them. If they have a flowering season that is quite short it is easy to think that other plants and flowers will offer greater value.
The peony is one such flower that is often dismissed on account of this shortcoming.
But to do without peonies in my garden would be a great hardship.
They are wonderfully spectacular, come in a wide range of colours from pure white to lemon yellow, through pink to deep crimson, and are wonderful when cut for the house.
I wouldn’t be without them and have got over their short flowering season by planting them not only among other longer-flowering perennials, but also in a couple of short rows on the veg patch where they can be plundered for cut flowers without worrying about spoiling the overall effect of the bed or border.
When it comes to growing conditions, peonies enjoy any decent well-drained earth and, provided the soil is perked up with a bit of decent planting mixture, they are happy in chalky ground. For best results give them good light. They will cope with dappled shade, but in deep gloom they will be reluctant to do well.
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