5 tips for growing beautiful peonies in your garden

Tremendously cold hardy and phenomenally long-lived, peonies are the queens of many perennial borders. Their glossy dark foliage frames flowers that can be huge, and many are fragrant, too. Here are a five peony-growing tips.

Whether white, pink, deep rose or a combination of colours, peonies bloom dependably year after year.

The biggest problem is that you must often wait two or three seasons for a new plant to begin blooming well. Peonies grow best where summers are cool.

Plant peonies in fall or early spring, when their "eyes" — little red buds on the crown — are visible.

• Set the eyes three to five centimetres below the soil line if you live in cold winter climates.
• In less severe winter climates, set the roots so the eyes are right at the surface. You can add mulch in winter, but remove it first thing in spring.

• Interplant peonies with bearded irises for a stunning show in late spring.
• Pair crimson peonies with bright yellow or purple irises for a hot mix.
• For a subtle look, use white or pink peonies with pastel irises.

Help prevent peonies' heavy blooms from snapping in the wind by shielding the plants with an evergreen hedge.

Bonus: The flowers will sparkle all the more near the dark green backdrop.

• To keep the blossoms from falling over, let peonies grow through the metal peony-support rings available at garden centres.
• Or make your own by cutting a circle from a piece of large-mesh fencing and attaching it securely to a trio of bamboo stakes.

• When you cut peonies for floral arrangements, select stems with buds that are just opening (the striking blooms will unfold in a few days) and cut the stems with only a few sets of leaves. The plants need the foliage to produce food for the following year.
• If you hear thunder, quickly cut any blossoms you've been planning to gather, because peonies with heavily ruffled flowers often crash to the ground when they become heavy with rain.