Peonies

PEONIES ARE usually sold as bare-root tubers with three to five eyes, divisions of a three- or four-year-old plant.

Plant peonies in the fall: in late September and October in most of the country, and even later in the South. (If you must move an established plant, this is the time.) Peonies should be settled into place before the first hard frost. Spring-planted peonies just don't do as well, experts agree; they generally lag about a year behind those planted in the fall.

Dig a generous-sized hole, about two feet deep and two feet across in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. If the soil is heavy or very sandy, enrich it with compost. Incorporate about one cup of bonemeal into the soil. Tamp it firmly.

Set the root so the eyes face upward on top of the firmed soil, placing the root just two inches below the soil surface. (In southern states, choose early-blooming varieties, plant them about an inch deep, and provide some shade.) Then backfill the hole, taking care that the soil doesn't settle and bury the root deeper than two inches. Water thoroughly.

Peonies make fine sentinels lining walkways. The idea of a peony walk, according to Scott Kunst, proprietor of Old House Gardens in Ann Arbor, Michigan, dates back at least to the colonial revival in the early part of this century; certainly a row of peonies makes a lovely low hedge. After its stunning bloom, the peony's bushy clump of handsome glossy green leaves lasts all summer, and then turns purplish or gold in the fall, as stately and dignified as any shrub.

In mixed borders, peonies bloom with columbines, baptisias, and veronicas, and combine well with irises and roses. Plant white peonies with yellow irises and a froth of forget-me-nots; set off pink peonies with blue Nepeta or violets.