If you’ve been around these parts for a while, you know this is my favorite time of year. That’s right, it’s peony season, my friend.
Most of my little ladies are already at least two feet tall. I decided to try something new this year with a few of them.
Some of the varieties I grow don’t have strong stems and paired with the weight of the blooms, they flop over.
So this year I’m going to try some supports on my floppiest peony bushes.
Think of these as bras for peonies.
I picked mine up at Lowe’s but you can also find them here, here, or here.
Because we have landscaping fabric under our mulch, I had to add a couple steps to the process of placing the supports.
I started by putting one of the rings at the base of the bush.
Then, I’d stick the stake in where I thought it’d work best, shove a knife into the ground where the stake was placed in order to pierce the landscaping fabric, and then slide the stake into the ground.
Here’s what my floppiest peony bush looks like with the support in place.
Here’s what the row of peonies looked like yesterday.
I would’ve staked the one at the very end (right side of the photo), but it’s too big for the supports I used. It may be time to divide that peony bush.
Unrelated to my peonies, I decided to give our mailbox clematis a lattice to grow onto instead of the mailbox.
I’m excited to see it grow up through the lattice. Nerdy gardener alert.
Here’s what the clematis looked like 4 years ago. It’s a beast.
Don’t worry, I’ll be back with updates.
Dorinda Selke says
I have a feeling that these may work well on your gorgeous peonies!! Can’t believe how much farther along your plants are than mine-our daffs have just started to bloom this week! Happy Easter to all ~ Dorinda
june says
I’m jealous my peonies won’t be up for a while. Minnesota just doesn’t allow us those Easter perks:)
I always cage mine … gee one rain and plop. It helps. Love the clematis.
carol plant says
you are so lucky that your peonies are that high – i am in ontario canada (just east of toronto) and mine are just barely coming thru the ground – i put cages around them each year but they still seem to lean too much towards the ground – i wonder if i should try to split them – i’ve had them quite a while – also i love your clematis – how is it soooo big – i had 3 on my garage wall but i seem to have lost 2 and am now down to one – they were beautiful but this last one did not do too good last year – i dont cut it down in the fall since i have no idea what kind it is anymore but once all the new growth is there i trim out the old – any suggestions on how i can get mine back to being healthy again this year – i love yours – you do seem to have a green thumb – any advise would be greatly appreciated thank you and regards carol
Dana M Babbitt says
Peonies are a plant that should not be dug up once planted, so how are you going to divide them?
Wyld says
My neighbor devised his by chopping them up..he didn’t want them anymore and gave them to me..beautiful big pinky white…all I did was plant them n the next spring ..there they were……we live in zone 6 b…..snow for a fe
Linda says
Where in lowes and what are the rings called? Want to try this next year. Thanks
Linda T says
I use a tomato cage for my peonies. Turn it upside down and cut off the stakes that are used to push into the ground. Put the tomato cage over your peony and use cut off wire to stake the cage to the ground. Works great!!