the times Saturday June 11 2022
17
Peonies enjoy full sun, in which some
flower particularly well, but can cope with
some dappled shade, which makes the
flowers last a little longer.
Consider planting depth
The key is to plant them at the right depth,
not too deep. If you buy them in pots, they
should be put in at roughly the same
depth as the soil level in the pot, and cer-
tainly no deeper.
A common mistake is to plant or move a
peony too deep, in which case it’ll put on
plenty of foliage and look healthy enough
but won’t flower properly. If you have
planted one you suspect is too deep, wait
until the autumn, then, taking care not to
damage the buds on the roots, lift your pe-
ony and replant it at the right depth.
Support and soil tips
Peonies can get a little top heavy, especial-
ly when wet and in bud or bloom, so they
may need staking, or ideally grow them
through plant supports and move them up
as they grow through. On lighter soils, to
improve soil retention add some organic
matter, but be careful not to build up the
soil level too much, especially on top of the
crown, or it’s the equivalent of planting too
deeply and they won’t flower well.
We watched a whitethroat, its
sharp thorn of a beak packed
with green caterpillars
Christopher Somerville’s good walkFRIEDRICH STRAUSS/GAP PHOTOS; ALAMYPage
19
Not just pink: Joe’s pick of the peonies
Paeonia ‘Buckeye Belle’
Wow! Deep red semi-double flowers
and golden yellow stamens. A stocky
plant that rarely needs staking. Height
approx 90cm, spread 90cm.P. daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii
Open bowl-shaped lemon yellow
flowers and glaucous foliage. Height
80cm, spread 60cm.P. ‘Bartzella’ (intersectional
peony)
Strong mound of leathery, deeply cut
leaves (which turn autumnal hues) and
large, frilly, soft yellow flowers with a
lemon scent. Height and spread 75cm.P. lactiflora ‘Duchesse de
Nemours’
Blowsy and elegant white form with
large double rounded, scented blooms.
Makes a great cut flower. Height and
spread 80cm.P. ‘Claire de Lune’
Simple, single open flower with a large
bright golden centre. It flowers in early
May, and the bold foliage is an asset
too. Height and spread 90cm.P. lactiflora ‘Dr Alexander
Fleming’
Strong deep pink flowers with
a powerful scent. Freely flowering
and long-lived. Height and spread 1m.P. delavayi (tree peony)
For those who want a bit of height
from their peonies. Single deep crimson
flowers displayed at and above eye level
that look great against the dark green
foliage. Height 2m, spread 1.2m.P. lactiflora ‘Bowl of Beauty’
This one makes me chuckle! Large pink
flowers with fluffy, creamy white
centres. Height 1m, spread 80cm.P. ‘Cora Louise’
Pure white semi-double flowers with
dramatic magenta staining and a circle
of yellow stamens in the centre. Forms
a rounded clump with deeply divided
leaves. Height and spread 90cm.Peonies will grow in most
soils with proper drainageQ I grow blackcurrants
in raised beds, with bark
chippings spread thickly,
but weeds still come
through. Is there a
weedkiller that won’t kill
the bushes or make the
blackcurrants
poisonous? F DaviesA Why not scrape the
bark off and put down a
weed-proof membrane
then put the bark back
on? Or ideally put down a
fresh layer of bark, since
there are bound to be
weed seeds in it by now.
It would be a lot less
hassle than weedkiller.Q Can you recommend
plants that rabbits will
not eat? And are there
any methods for
removing them?
Mrs P MarchA You’ll find lots of
lists online, longer than I
could quote you here. Try
https://www.rhs.org.uk/
prevention-protection/
rabbit-resistant-plants.
Meanwhile, the answer to
keeping rabbits out is
chicken wire fastened for
70cm up your fence
and buried 30cm
underground horizontally
outside your fence, so
they can’t burrow under.Q I have a border of
perennials and shrubs
covered with ground
elder. I’ve dug it up
before, sifted the soil
and replanted the plants,
but I’m in my eighties
now and can’t do that
again. I think the only
solution is to spray
weedkiller and cover
with black plastic for a
long period. What do
you think? B TerryA You are a brave man
wanting to face all that.
Might you be willing to
change to taller shrubs
and vigorous perennials
that would compete with
the ground elder, a plant
that is not ugly for all its
invasiveness? I recently
saw oriental poppies and
tall alliums all succeeding
well among it.
Send your questions to
stephen.anderton@
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