Stunning Sorbet Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)

 If you like peony flowering shrubs then you will love the stunning sorbet peony  (Paeonia lactiflora).  This fragrant beauty was discovered by Luc Klinkhamer in 1987 growing in a South Korean garden and in 2006 I bought it at Brecks Nursery to grow in my garden.

Breck's Nursery sent me a Sorbet peony bare root that I planted in the fall. The soil was well-drained and amended with compost to make it fertile. I grew this peony 2 feet away from my rock wall in a sunny location with the part sun in the afternoon.

This sorbet peony did not bloom the first three years but thereafter it bloomed every mid-spring.  From my experience, I have found that peonies need time to grow, and be established in your garden.  

All of the peonies that grow in my garden have needed a few dormant years (no blooms).  If you have the time to wait then you will be awarded. The sorbet will produce many buds and sensational flowers every spring.  This plant is well worth the investment and the wait.

The sorbet is my favorite peony.  I love this showy fragrant flower with pink and white petal layers. Know that the sorbet peony will provide garden interest in the spring, summer, and fall when the leaves will turn a yellow color at the end of summer and is an eye-appealing plant throughout the autumn season.

I have never seen the Sorbet at my local garden centers.  So if you are interested I would suggest that you contact Brecks.com to see if they are selling this peony for fall season planting.

Here are photographs of the sorbet peony that grows in my yard and garden.  

Garden Secrets Nice Gal Pink Peony

If you enjoy watching butterflies and hummingbirds then plant the Nice Gal Peony. This peony is a stunning pink flowering shrub that will add beauty to your garden with its large pink flowers with yellow stamens.

 In 2012 I shopped online and bought a peony collection from Brecks Nursery.  The flowering shrubs were bare roots and the nice gal was one of the plants that I had received.

The peonies were planted in fertile well-drained soil where there were 6 hours of full sun daily.  The bare root grew into a small shrub in the first year with lush green leaves but did not bloom for two years.  The first time that the peony bloomed the flowers were small and I attributed this to the overhand of an Oak tree that had grown in. 

The following fall I decided to transplant even though I knew that disturbing the peony may mean it may not boom the following year.  I took the chance and moved the nice gal to another area where there was no chance that trees would block the sun.   

I transplanted the peony on a cloudy day, and it was planted deep in well-drained fertile soil that was amended with compost.  I watered well and did not allow the soil to dry out.  This new location provided the peony with 6 hours of full sun and part shade.  I applied a layer of mulch to protect the newly rooted shrub and after the first frost, I cut back the stems to the soil and applied a thicker layer of natural hardwood mulch.

 For the next 7 years, this flowering shrub grew in nicely (28 inches in height with a 30-inch spread.  The peony had strong stems and glossy leaves with small buds and flowers.   Normally this particular peony is an outstanding performer, but I suspect that disturbing the roots by transplanting did not agree with the plant.

This year I changed my fertilizer.  I used Jobes stakes for flowering shrubs. The stakes were put into the soil in late March / early spring.  The fertilizer stake would feed the peony slowly throughout the growing season.

In April the spring rain was plentiful, the days were warm and the nights were cool.  The weather and the fertilizer agreed with my pink gal peony because it grew into a sturdy bush with lush green leaves and big flower buds. The entire bush was covered with flower buds and the blooms were magnificent.

 

Here are some photographs of my beautiful Nice Gal Peony shrub. 

Growing Tips for Peonies

Peony flower and buds

Grow Peonies in your yard as a flowering shrub or in your garden to add fragrance and springtime color.  

Peonies are long-lived flowering shrubs that bloom in spring. Peony shrubs feature fragrant spring flowers, green glossy summer foliage, and vibrant red-hued leaves in fall. Once established in your garden the peony will grow seasonally for up to one hundred years

Many people grew up with peonies as the plant may have been divided from their grandmother's peonies and the peonies are passed down as an heirloom, thus making the peony a cherished flowering shrub.

Where should I plant peony?

Peonies do not like to be disturbed so choose your garden site wisely.  It is best to plant the peony and then let it be.  If you transplant to another location in your yard, your peony will punish you for not blooming for the next two to three years.  

Choose the garden site for the peony that features full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, and adequate growing space. If you are planting more than one peony, spaced three feet apart.

What season is best for planting peony?

Plant nursery-grown peony plants in the spring and plant peony tubers in the fall.  Fall planting should be done from August through September.  It is not recommended to plant the peony tubers later than September as it will not give the roots enough time to establish prior to the fall frost.

Peony Sorbet

How do you Plant Peony flowering shrubs?

Purchase a nursery-grown peony in spring after the danger of frost has passed. Clear the garden site of grass, weeds, and rocks.  

Loosen the soil so that it has a fine texture.  Work compost into the soil and then dig a hole that is the same depth as the nursery container.  

At the bottom of the hole mix some bone meal for flowers and bulbs with the soil.  Lightly shake the soil from the roots of the peony.  I do this to encourage growth.  Set the peony in the center of the hole with roots facing outward. 

The peony eyes need to be two inches below the soil line.   If you should plant the eyes deeper the peony will not produce flowers, or the flowers will be small.  

How do you care for peonies?

Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet the first season.  When new growth appears, apply two to three inches of mulch around the peony.  The mulch will aid in keeping the roots cool, retaining moisture, and will repel pests and weeds.  Keep the peony bed weed-free.  

Once established the peony is drought tolerant, however, if your area is hot during the summer water the peony by drip irrigation in the morning.  Expect your peony plant to bloom in the third season.  If blooms are heavy use around plant stake to prevent the stems from breakage. 

Cut off spent blooms and prune the stems to two inches above the soil after a hard frost.

Here are a few photographs of the peonies that I grow in my garden. 

Pink and white double peony Sorbet

Pink Gal  Peony

Peony Tips:  

If you need to transplant your peony, fall is the best time.  Choose a day that is cloudy or transplant at the end of the day when the sun is not as hot.  

Water the transplant well and continue to water daily until a hard frost.  Always transplant a month before a hard frost so that the roots can become established.  

Apply a thin layer of mulch around the transplant and after the hard frost cut back the stems and apply a thicker layer of mulch.

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