If you have ever attended a wedding recently, then you’ve probably seen bouquets or arrangements of peony flowers.
The long-lived plants are popular in the commercial floral industry because of their fragrance and big, beautiful flowers.
Alaska gardeners love growing them because of their ability to endure long, cold winters in northern temperate climates.
In the week’s edition of Gardentalk, Master Gardener Ed Buyarski reminds us that local herbaceous peonies are now blooming with white, pink and red flowers.
For those wishing to take part in the peony parade, Buyarski suggests ordering peony roots now before planting in late September and October.
Peonies are available in single, semi-double or double-flower varieties which specify the number of petals for each flower.
“From literally just five petals — like the single roses — on through the semi-doubles which might have 10, 15, even 20 petals,” Buyarski said.
Peonies bloom either in early, mid- or late season.
Herbaceous peonies either die back or need to be trimmed in the fall before they regrow in the spring. A different type, woody tree peonies, are more like shrubs and do not die back.
“So, there are some incredible choices,” Buyarski said.
When your peony roots or tubers arrive, Buyarski says be careful not to plant them deeper than 1- to 2-inches or they may never flower.
