Peony Help Please

[Shortie]

I feel like I struck gold today and now I need help saving it pleeeeeeeeease . Let me explain...

We bought/live in the house next door to my Mum and Dad, and the lady who lived here was here since the war. She planted a red peony in the front garden, and when I was digging it up (it was going to be squashed by the car otherwise, my Mum mentioned that she hasd them as her wedding flowers. I gave the peony tubers away....

Anyway a few weeks back my Mum happened to mention the peony again, that it was a shame she didn't get any etc... I didn't realise until then that her wedding flowers came from that plant in the garden (I presumed she meant she just got red peonies from a florist...)

So today. like a woman possessed I've dug up the weed membrane and shingle that was covering the peony to see if I could find any tubers. I didn't think I'd have any luck as they've been covered over for 3 years now...

I've managed to find 4 pieces of tuber, about finger lenght but fatter and looking really darned healthy.

How do I go grow them on? I've really only got one chance with them as I have no more, and buying another isn't really that same. Short of growing them in gold dust, I'll do pretty much anything needed

[shirlthegirl43]

The only bit of advice I can give is to be sure you plant them at the same depth they were already. We have one in our garden that grew but never flowered until the water main needed repair and it got replanted a bit deeper - now I get lovely flowers.

Good luck with it Shortie.

[Nicos]

Don't know much about peonies- sorry!

What I do know is that they don't like being moved, and that if you plant a new peony you can generally tell its age as the years progress as they increase by one flower per year. ( ie a 5 yr old peony will generally have 5 flowers....)- might be an old wives tale though???

Do you have a plant nursery near you who might just adopt - or give advice ??

I can imagine how you must feel though- my grandmother's Xmas rose finally packed it's cloggs a few years back, and although I replaced it- it's not quite the same.

[shirlthegirl43]

you can generally tell its age as the years progress as they increase by one flower per year. ( ie a 5 yr old peony will generally have 5 flowers....)- might be an old wives tale though???

Now that is interesting, there were 3 flowers on my peony last year and 2 the year before!!! I will be watching to see if we get 4 this year

[nick the grief]

I'd get some pots big enough to take each tuber thing and pot them up Shortie with the nose just peeking out and keep them somewhere sheltered but frost free and leave them to it and see what happens.

Unusual wedding Bouquet - peonies still she's obviously used to having little beautiful gems

[Shortie]

Thanks everyone

Nick, you sweetie! Her wedding was May so that may have been a reason, maybe it was simply a seasonal thing?

Nicos, I never thought about seeing if a nursery would adopt them for me.... I might take a wander to my gardening club/nursery where they have an advice centre and see what they say about adopting a piece for me incase I fluff it up

[cottage garden]

How about hedging you bets with one in the garden, one at a nursery and two in pots in the green house? Don't let them get too wet. Is there any stem attached to any of the tubers? I don't know about peonies but with dahlias there has to be a bit of woody stem for them to grow.

Its a lovely story, I really hope they grow...no chance of tracing the original plant from who you gave it to? You could always take a cutting from them?

[sweetcorn]

Peonies are fussy about being moved - I tried but failed, but it wasn't so important to me, so I might not have taken quite so much care as I'm sure you will. I think it's a great idea to hedge your bets three ways, as Cottage Garden suggested. Good luck, and I hope to read on the forum in the future that at least one has 'taken'!

[skybluepink]

Peony

Hi
In my experience with peonys is that they are quite tough but do tend to sulk if disturbed .As long as the tuber feels healthy i.e quite firm I would put them direct in ground ,enrich soil a bit and choose somewhere you can give them some space and keep and eye on them. Now wait ...........you should get some sign of foliage in spring but flowering can take 2 or 3 years.

Good luck

[jeannine]

Best of luck with it Shortie - your mum will be made up that you've gone to so much trouble whatever happens with your four tubers.

BTW if you did want to buy new plants, they've got lovely peonies at Wilkos at the mo for £1.50

[Shortie]

Ta everyone. I got my compost to plant them in pots yesterday but the last two days I've not had a chance to do anything in the garden..

I'm going to put them in pots for the mo as my back garden is very shady and I can move them round in the pots to follow the sun a bit more. I guess they like lots of sun as they were planted in the front, where the most sun is

[nick the grief]

Mine were in a shady bit and seemed to grow OK, I don't think it really matters this time of year.

[Shortie]

.... Maybe I'll just suss out a spare bit of garden then