Peonies enhance beauty of spring

Peonies have been blooming in Shawnee for several weeks. It is likely that most of the clumps that are seen around town have been there for decades. There are several plantings in our neighborhood that I look forward to seeing each spring.
Historians tell us that peonies were developed in China and Japan more than 2,500 years ago and have been in the United States since about 1800. The peony is the state flower of Indiana.
Peonies can be left in the same place as long as growing conditions are satisfactory. They do need sun and good air circulation but should be kept protected from strong winds. That said, the clump shown in the photograph is planted on the corner by the street where it is constantly exposed to either north or south winds and is doing well.
The preferred planting time for peonies is early fall. If division of a clump is planned, wait until September to perform that task. It would be ideal if the new planting site could be prepared now and dug one-to-three feet deep with a generous amount of sphagnum peat moss or composted manure added to the soil.
The reason for this advance preparation is to allow the soil to firm so that your newly planted peony will not settle in too deeply. The new site should not be one where peonies have been planted previously.
Peonies die back in the fall. All plant debris should be removed and placed in the trash to be hauled away. Don’t put it in your compost pile.
Next fall, if you plant a new pot-grown peony, place the plant so that the soil in the pot is level with the ground. For divided plants, place the crown of the plant about 1.5 to 2 inches below the soil. The next step is to be patient. Don’t expect to see blooms from the transplanted clump for one to two years. After that it may bloom regularly every year.