Fifteen Things You Should Know About Peonies

1. The peony family is of the order Dilleniales made up of 33 species in the genus Paeonia, and is distributed through most areas of the world.
2. Most peonies fail because they develop root rot from standing water, are planted to deep in the soil, or don't get enough sun.

3. Ants are not necessary for peonies to flourish.

4. There are peonies on record that have lived for over 70 years.

5. Peonies are a common motif in art, as represented here by Frederic Bazille's "Young Woman With Peonies".

6. Peonies were once thought to groan or moan when pulled out of the ground.

7. Peony blooms can grow to 6" across.

8. Peonies have been considered sacred in some cultures, and were believed to keep nightmares and evil spirits at bay.

9. Now considered poisonous, powered peony root was once prescribed as a tonic for liver disease.

10. The original peony had a single coloration, pinkish-purple.

11. Peony roots can spread as deep as 15" and up 18" from the central stem.
12. Less well known varieties of peonies are the tree peonies.

13. Peony leaves alternate on their stems and are often bronze when young. On many varieties the leaves turn reddish brown in the fall.

14, Peonies love well rotted manure.

15. Peony wilt is a fungus that can survive, dormant in the soil, until revived by a spate of wet weather. It is characterized by a gray mold on young peony stems that will cause new growth to wilt and turn brown. It may require sterilizing the soil to successfully combat it.
For more information about peonies, visit: Peonies the Princess of the Garden

The Green Way to Sterilize Garden Soil

If you've had a bad growing season because of any number of pests or diseases, you can turn back the clock on your soil by organically sterilizing it. Use the sun to "cook" your soil into shape. Here's how:

Measure the area that you need to sterilize and cover it with plastic sheeting. Either thin or heavy plastic will do. This doesn't need to be gardening plastic, or an expensive investment, painter's drop cloths wrapped and taped together will do just fine.

The goal is to heat the soil enough to kill any destructive organisms and seeds living in it. A sunny spot is best because it will retain the most heat. Repeated high interior temperatures (under the plastic) of between 98 and 135 degrees F for a sustained period will do the trick. The soil will heat better if it is moistened before applying the plastic.

After application, the plastic should be sealed as thoroughly as possible to the soil, leaving few if any gaps. Bricks, pots, stones, and wood all work well to anchor and seal the plastic as close to the ground as possible. Leave the plastic in place for at least a month, two if you can swing it, the longer the better. I know that this means most of a growing season in many areas.

The advantage of this method is that it doesn't require chemicals. My experience has been that once a spot starts exhibiting problems, chemical solutions don't always provide a permanent fix. One fallow season with a sterilizing sheet works wonders.

If this means that your vegetable patch is a no-go this year, try gardening in pots.
Container gardening on a deck or patio is an interesting experience; one not to be missed.

Good luck.

Spring Plantings - Avoid Frost

Every year I am torn between getting my plants out early, and waiting to make absolutely sure that all the frosty overnight temperatures are over for the season. If you're like me, you guess wrong sometimes, but there are resourses out there to help.

In the US there is a website that evaluates frost zones. This year, before you get your hands into loamy soil, check your area to make sure that you've waited long enough: Frost Information for the United States.