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They leave almost as quickly as they arrived but in their short 7-10 day lifespan, they sure bring some beauty to our gardens.
How do we keep them flourishing year after year, though? What can we do in the meantime to ensure that our peony bushes continue to be a bright spot in the garden at the start of summer?
Is there some magic behind it?
Well, no, it’s actually very simple, and you probably are in the habit of doing it to other plants in the garden.
How to keep peony bushes healthy year after year
Speaking to Ideal Home magazine, Tony Williams, Estates Manager at Mount Ephraim Gardens said: “To keep your peonies healthy and ensure they continue to produce stunning flowers year after year, it’s essential to practice deadheading.
“This simple gardening task involves removing spent flowers and can significantly impact the overall vigour and appearance of your peonies.”
It really is that simple.
If you’re not entirely familiar though, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS): “Deadheading is the term used for the removal of fading or dead flowers from plants.
“It is done to keep plants looking attractive and encourage more blooms, whether in beds and borders, containers or hanging baskets.”
How to safely deadhead flowers without damaging the bush
The RHS said that the best way to deadhead flowers is to simply pinch the faded blooms with finger and thumb, aiming to remove the flower with its stalk to keep the plant looking tidy.
However, for more thick, tough or stringy stems, the RHS recommend that gardeners use secateurs, scissors or a knife to ease the flowers off to protect your hands and guarantee a clean cut.
Finally, the RHS advised: “For plants that produce heads of multiple flowers, such as delphiniums and lupins, pinch or trim off individual flowers (where practical) and then prune the entire head to just above a lower bud/leaf/side shoot, or to ground level, once all have finished. ”
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