The Best Time To Plant Peonies Is Two Years Ago

But fear not: The second best time to plant them is now. It’s a bit of a lukewarm joke, I think I got it from one of those tiles you sometimes see with random pieces of wisdom: “Free Beer Tomorrow” in your favourite pub, or “If it rains in May, April is over” Always true, that one.  Paeonia White Cap 

But still, my own piece of advice about the appropriate time to plant Peonies does hold some truth as well. Peonies are not at their very best the first year you’ve planted them. They really do need a year to settle down in their new home. They’ll do their very best to give you three to five shy stems, but it is far from the beautiful bush they can be in the following year, and the bush you see photographed on the web site when you are picking out your favourite.  Paeonia White Cap in her first year after planting

This is a plant with three ‘noses’. This was a stroke of luck: this Peony has given us a flower on every nose that I could see. Usually, not all of them give a flower in the first year, but sometimes, it does happen. The number of these ‘noses’ also determines the size of the Peony. The biggest size is ⅗ nose, and if you know us you won’t be surprised, but this is the size we sell at Fluwel for every variety of Peony in our web shop. When there are three noses you’ll get three stems, with four, you’ll get four stems, and with five… that’s a surprise.  Paeonia Bartzella the first year after planting. Don’t expect a large bush full of Bartzella flowers where you can pick an endless number of flowers in that year… This one had some beautifully large roots when I planted her, but in her first year, she only gave me one flower.  This is that same Bartzella after another year, A beautiful, full plant, almost a bush, and she fills up a border or a corner of the garden very nicely 

This week, our Peonies are being shipped out. If you have ordered some of your own, be sure to plant them soon. Peonies are perennials, and perennials like being in the ground. I am now going to try to give you some advice about planting Peonies. It’s a mistake often made when people plant Peonies, and that is that they plant them too deep. They really don’t like that, and especially in their first year, this can have a negative effect on the plant. It will stay a bit too small, and during their growth, the stems and flowers dry out. Only two centimeters of soil on top of the noses is the ideal depth. Plant your peonies in loose, not dense, soil, and give her a nice blanket of leaves. If you want more information on the planting process, you can read more at our website under ‘Flower bulb information’.  Paeonia Pink Vanguard. This Peony can show double flowers as well as single ones on the same stem

And, another thing: During her first year, your double Peony might not show you those nice, double flowers that you often see in photos. Sometimes, they are completely single, and they don’t yet look like the ones in the picture. Do not worry when this happens. Next year, you will have a flower that has completely settled in to her new home, and her flowers will be big and gorgeous.  Paeonia Allan Rogers, a double Peony that shows an open, half-double flower

Lots of adult, double flowered Peonies have, together with their beautiful double flowers, a few smaller, single flowers alongside the larger ones. The main flower is always double, but sometimes there are extras that can be smaller in size or single flowers. I always think that at least it’s easier to reach for the bees.  Narcissus My Dearest 

Then, the question that all my readers love to ask: Daffodils or Peonies? Which one is my favourite? Well, that causes some doubt. It probably would not be an easy question for you either. But when in doubt about flower bulbs, there is one golden rule to live by: Get Both! 

If you ask me, they go together very well, too. Daffodils in the spring, Peonies in the Summer. I think you can plant them in the same hole as well, they are not in each other’s way at all. I’m going to try it myself this year.  Karel sewing Daffodil seed

When in doubt, get both, that is something I also thought about earlier this week when I was planting Daffodils with my son Karel. I told him that when his grandfather, my father, was the age I am now, he planted his Daffodil seeds and he never saw them as full Daffodils. “And then you’ll dump them all on me! No, you better keep breathing,” was what Karel said to that. But still, you never know. Which is why I’d say: Plant  them both. Daffodil Seed

But we’re going off track again, as usual, but I think we’re done for the day. I’m going back outside. There must be some flowers laying around,  waiting to be planted. 

Kind regards,

Carlos van der Veek