I think that this week in the flower garden the Tree Peony is the plant to see, its something you have to make the most of while its here because it won't be here for long and it will be a long time returning to flower although the foliage can be enjoyed in the mean time.
If you ever buy a tree peony you have to give it time to develope, don't expect flowers for three to four years after planting. You probably won't get any buds in the first year and even after that its best to remove them for a couple of years as this helps the plant in future years of which there will hopefully be many. You will need to plant it up to six inches deep, about half that if grown in a pot and before back filling work some blood fish and bone in to the hole and after planting water in and don't allow to dry out during the next year. They will grow in most soils as long as they don't dry out or become water logged. They will also thank you in their own special way for a mulch of blood fish and bone meal mixed with some compost every October. If you have a plant already and feel the need to prune it this should be done in February, take out any dead or diseased wood back to a new bud, or if your Peony is old take out one old stem a year down to a new shoot or bud that is about twelve inches above soil level.
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