Peony flowers - amerrymom.com

Enjoying May flowers – five tips for beautiful peony blooms

May is a wonderful month for many reasons.  May flowers are some of my favorite things.  This spring, the peony I planted a couple of years ago has its first blooms – and they are beautiful!

The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty, the peony is now coming into bloom. ~ Henry Mitchell, American writer (1923-93) - amerrymom.comThese lovely flowers were worth the wait over the past couple of years when the plant only had leaves on it.  It’s a good thing it has nice leaves.

When I planted it, I didn’t know much about peonies except that they are pretty.  I didn’t realize that they don’t bloom for a couple of years, so at first I thought my plant was a dud.  It was a happy day to finally see the first peony buds this spring!  They’re so lovely in full bloom.Peonies - amerrymom.com

Five tips for growing garden peonies

Although I’m not a gardening expert, I’ve learned several helpful tips for growing peonies in my flower garden.

1.  Be patient.  Since peonies take a couple of years to become established and bloom, give them time.  Planting annuals near the peony, but not too close, can bring blooms to the area without creating deep roots that will compete with the peony.  The tall green foliage pairs nicely with many annuals.  Take care that any companion plants don’t block the peony’s sun.

2.  Pick the location wisely.  Because of the establishment period, peonies are not ideal for transplanting to a new location.  Know your gardening zone and the requirements for your specific variety of peony.  Find a spot with full sun and provide fertile, well-drained soil.  Plan for their mature height and width, usually about 2-3 feet.

3.  Provide support.  Peony flowers tend to droop and need support.  You can buy or make stakes or rings to prop them up.  I placed a slightly taller obelisk by the peony while it was bare to add interest to my flower garden.  Now it provides a nice support for the flowers.May peonies - amerrymom.com4.  Trim back foliage in the fall.  Peonies don’t need a lot of ongoing care, but cutting back the foliage in the fall can help avoid disease.  Light mulch may be applied in the autumn; mulch should be removed in the spring.

5.  Tolerate ants on the buds.  Ants are attracted to peony buds for the nectar.  The benefit is that ants help control other pests that damage buds.  They generally move on after the bud has opened, but take care that the ants are gone when bringing cut flowers indoors.

With just a little planning and minimal care, peonies are a beautiful addition to a flower garden!

What are your favorite May flowers?

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8 thoughts on “Enjoying May flowers – five tips for beautiful peony blooms

  1. AvatarSharon

    Actually, I don’t know the name of the flowers on the side of my house, but they are so pretty during blooming time. One side of my house was the place that I would put all plants or flowers that I didn’t like until one day I looked on the side of the house and realized how pretty everything had grown to become. Now, it’s my favorite side of the house.

    Reply
  2. AvatarJulie@Sweet and Spicy Monkey

    When I moved into my house, I had these flowers growing in my front planter and like Sharon, I had no idea what type of flower they were. I love their foliage because they reminded me of a tropical plant. The first couple times my plant got buds, my dog ate them! So until this year, I had no idea what the flower would look like. I’ve got 3 peony plants and only one has bloomed this year and it was a beautiful deep pink. I had just gotten my new camera and took a picture and posted it as my FB cover page. It was then, when somebody commented on how much they love peonies, that I realized the name of the plant…finally! I love this plant even more now that I’ve finally seen the flower in bloom!!

    Reply
    1. LisaLisa Post author

      I’m glad you finally got to experience the beautiful blooms! I hope the others start to flower for you so you can enjoy them even more. :)

      Reply
  3. AvatarNici @ Posed Perfection

    I absolutely adore peonies. I’ve never tried to grow them before, but definitely admire those who do. Thanks for sharing these tips with us at my Creative Ways Link Party! Hope you’ll be back again this week!
    Blessings,
    Nici

    Reply
  4. AvatarAngelina

    Peonies are my favorite flower (hence my blog name). Yours look gorgeous. I can’t grow them where I live and even if I could I have a major ant problem and don’t need anymore of those buggers! Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
    1. LisaLisa Post author

      Yep, the ants are a pain, but the beautiful flowers make up for it! Thanks for stopping by, Angelina. I love your blog name! :)

      Reply

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