Peony (Herbaceous) Supports

As with any herbaceous perennial, it makes sense to be guided by the size your full-grown peony will reach, which might be anything from 50-100cm high and wide, depending on the variety. As a general rule, the more modern breeds (such as ‘Bowl of Beauty’, ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ or ‘White Wings’) are taller than the traditional cottage peonies. Chose the right peony support when you plant the peony, pop it over after you plant the tuber and leave it in place both to support the plant and to protect it in its dormant season.

You might expect the gorgeous, delicate flounces of peony petals to need protection from the sun, but peonies are sun-lovers. While they might possibly be scorched by day after day of burning sun or by bright early morning sun after a late frost, the issue is more usually about getting enough sun rather than too little. So choose an open, sunny spot for your peonies.

Three things I find useful to bear in mind when planning where to plant peonies: they are long-lived, they like a rich soil and they don’t like being moved. All this points to not planting them too close together. A peony clump will continue to expand as it matures, and you don’t want to lose out on perhaps several seasons of flower display by having to move them further apart after a few years. So although a newly planted bed of peonies may look sparse to begin with, it pays dividends to allow about 1m (3ft) between plants and to pop a peony support on when you plant it .

Peonies are vulnerable to wind and rain when those glorious buds have burst into bloom – an overnight shower can break or bend them right down so the whole plant needs to be supported. Peony baskets have been used since Victorian times to support the plants and the Muntons range of peony supports is based on traditional designs. Smaller varieties (up to 50cm height and spread) grow well in a regular peony support while taller varieties (over 50cms) will benefit from a tall, or Jester peony support.

Peonies can be divided or moved. Autumn is the best time to do this. Using a sharp spade, dig a slice of the plant (about 1/3, just like a slice of pie) and remove it; divide the rest of the plant into two more slices, making sure that each ‘slice’ has 3-5 red buds showing at the top; remove any old foliage; replant the sections, making sure not to cover the buds – peonies hate being buried too deeply. Pop a peony support on as you plant to protect the new plant and to give it support as it grows.