Peony advice, please

[GiantKitten]

I bought this last autumn, intending to plant it properly then, but I had a dormant period & failed. It only had a few leafy twigs then so I was amazed to spot this growth today. It’s obviously enjoyed its winter in the pot!

2 questions:

Would it be ok to move it now, or should I leave it until next autumn when it’s dormant again?

Would it be happy in a (very large) container or do they really need to be in the ground? Back yard is paved so would have to be potted there. Small front garden has soil, & I have a big fat peony growing very happily there right against the house wall (big fat peony pic from last summer )

(Or should I move it temporarily to a slightly larger pot?)

I moved house with a peony I'd dug up from my old garden, it spent about four months in a pot then I planted it at about this time of year. It flowered quite happily that summer.

I've never kept one in a pot/tub though, so I don't know how happy it would be.

Thanks, minniemoll

My big fat one at the front didn’t flower at all for its first 3-4 years so I wasn’t expecting anything yet from this one - although it is a different kind, so maybe...

But good to know I could move it now!

It's absolutely the right time to plant your peonie. I overwintered mine in a half bag of compost when I first had it. I would always opt for planting in the ground myself, pots dry out incredibly fast and the peonie will be a quite big plant in a couple of years.
Pictured is my Itoh peonie age 3, last year.

Wow, Gorse, yours is amazing! And holding itself up too? That whole bed is beautiful

Thanks for advice. I’ll think on about ground vs pot. I have got a really massive one - 22” diameter x 15” deep. (Black plastic.)

My front door peony suddenly started bursting through the ground yesterday - it gets the afternoon sun. We went about about 3pm & I looked but couldn’t see anything; came back about 5pm and there was a shoot!

Yes, lovely time of year with things bursting through the soil, almost while you're watching! The peonie is upright because it's an Itoh (intersectional) type. It's a hybrid between the herbaceous and tree peonies, only perfected a few decades ago by a Mr Itoh of Japan. They're becoming better known now and the price is coming down. Treat as any other peonie. Bit of low nitrate feed in spring.

That's good to know, Gorse. I've never had any joy with ordinary peonies. I love tree peonies but have never tried due to their cost if I remember correctly,

Itohs have the vigour of tree but size of herbaceous peonies, and tough as old boots. Peonies get to look very shabby in wet/windy weather which always seems to occur just as they're flowering. Itohs just seem to shrug it off and look great. I had 22 flowers of 8 inches across last year, over the course of about 2 months. They cost around £20 nowadays from specialist nurseries. Some are scented. Absolute bargain!

I had mine in a large pot for 6 years and it never ever flowered. Last year I put it in the ground and gave it a severe warning and it flowered. I assume they aren't keen on pots.

Thanks @GiantKitten I love peonies too. @Gorse your border is amazing. Will seek out itch peony. I'm a newbie gardener about to plant up my first proper garden what else is in that border? They go together really well.

Wow Itoh peony! Found it on the RHS website

RaininSummer
I had mine in a large pot for 6 years and it never ever flowered. Last year I put it in the ground and gave it a severe warning and it flowered. I assume they aren't keen on pots.

More food for thought - thank you!

hoochymamgu you’re welcome

@Hoochymangu
There's lupins (can have problems with giant American aphids) & aquilegia, many varieties to choose from. White Canterbury bells. In the new picture are 2 different geranium (cranesbill) some kind of perennial poppy, self seeds everywhere but flowers non stop until frosts. In foreground is a large clump of day lily which I recommend, & much more besides. My garden was just a field 3 yrs before the picture, and after much digging I was a bit hasty in bunging plants in, so ended up with some definitely in the wrong place. However, I'm slowly moving things around. Look up day lilys, because they're easy & low maintenance & put on a lovely display when other things are going over. Many are scented, but check before buying because most aren't. I dug a new border last yr specifically for new day lily plants, wallflowers & bulbs.
Have fun!

Thank you

I just have to say, Gorse, your garden looks stunning. So nice to see summer flowering images at this time of year too. Is that Pretty Polly Potentilla in the foreground? (At least I think it's Polly! I bought one last year but when it flowered it wasn't so vibrant pink, more pale).
Sorry to derail your thread OP. I, too, am going to look up Itoh peonies! 👍
As far as I know, peonies take a little while to establish (and flower) and I'd imagine they'd be better in the ground. The ones I've had in the past have succeeded out of full blazing sun. I bought Buckeye Belle peony a couple of years ago - now in full sun- but hasn't flowered yet. High hopes for the season ahead!

No, I don't have any potentilla, that small pink clump is a geranium (cranesbill). It's quite dainty. My peonie is facing south with no shade, and I had four or five blooms its first year. It wasn't very big as a plant when I put it in so I didn't expect any flowers so soon. I recommend digging in some bonemeal when planting peonies.

I have been given 3 Peonies to plant but I have no borders to plant them in the ground.

I’m about to buy some big pots but reading this I’m worried I’m wasting money if they won’t ever flower in pots.

Do I just need to get the size right?

Would w Belfast sink do or is that too shallow?

Also - do I need specific type of compost?

The crown of the plant needs to be one or two inches below soil surface. Depends on which style of Belfast sink, some are quite shallow, albeit with a larger surface area. I wouldn't put a peonie in that type. Certainly wouldn't put three in there. They don't require anything really deep, 12 inches minimum though. Soil based compost like JI #3, add broken pots or gravel two or three inches at the bottom of your pots for drainage, bit of bonemeal but don't feed too much. Keep in sunny position, don't let it dry out, don't let it get waterlogged. If you can find out which cultivars you have it would help to decide what size pots are best. Some peonies can grow really big, but there's some much smaller ones coming onto the market now.