The best time to plant a peony is two years ago.

But fear not: The second best time to plant a peony is now. Actually a lame joke that I remembered from one of the many tiles that you sometimes come across. You know, those tiles full of oriental wisdom that we can all benefit from, I think it was about a tree. 'If it rains in May, April is over' I always think. And that is absolutely true. Paeonia White Cap

But still, this silly wisdom I just made up about the time of planting the Peony does have a grain of truth. The Peony is really not at its most beautiful in the first year after planting, it first needs a year to settle in your garden. In the first year, 3 to 5 shy branches grow into the garden that do not form the beautiful bush that I see here and there in my photos. Paeonia White Cap the first year after planting

This was a plant with 3 noses with the luck that in the first year every nose that was on the root ring gave a flower. It often happens that not every nose gives a flower in the first year. The number of noses also determines the size of the Peony. The largest size is the 3/5 nose and that is what we carry at Fluwel for all our Peonies. You have probably noticed, with 3 noses on the root ring you get a plant with 3 stems, with 4 noses there are 4 and with 5 noses... you get the idea. Paeonia Bartzella the first year after planting. Do not expect a beautiful tuft full of Bartzella flowers the first year, which you can pick abundantly. This was a beautiful thick root wreath that went into the ground, but it only gave 1 flower the first year.

This is how the same Bartzella will look as a perennial plant, a beautiful, full plant, almost a shrub, which provides a good filling for the border.

This week the Peonies will be shipped out and if you ordered them, plant them quickly. The Peony is a perennial and perennials simply like to be in the ground. I will also try, I hope I succeed, to prevent you from the most common mistake when planting Peonies: too deep. The Peony really does not like it too deep, especially in the first year after planting it can suffer greatly from this. The plant remains too small and the flowers dry out during its growth. 2 cm of soil on top of the sprouting noses is the ideal depth. Plant it in nice loose humus-rich soil and give it a canopy of leaves or cover it with garden soil. More information can of course be found on our site under 'flower bulb information'. Paeonia Pink Vanguard. A peony that can show both single and double flowers on the same flower stem.

Oh yes, one more thing, the first year after planting, especially the double-flowered Peonies often do not show the beautiful full flowers that you may expect from them. Sometimes they are even completely single and show the same open heart as the single-flowered Peonies. Don't panic, it will be fine when the Peony has settled in your garden, then the flowers will become well filled and double again.

Paeonia Allan Rogers, a double flowered Peony showing an open semi-double flower here.

Many double-flowered Peonies also have the property as an adult plant to sometimes have smaller bee-flowers that are also single-flowered. The main bud is always nicely filled, but the extra flowers that appear on these – often richly flowering – Peonies are more or less double and sometimes even completely single-flowered. Can Bees Bee Better , I always think.

Now the big question to myself: Daffodil or Peony, which of the two do I prefer. Yes, I am in doubt about that and perhaps you are too. But when in doubt about flower bulbs, I always have the same solution: just both 😊 .

I think they go very well together, Daffodil in spring, Peony in summer. I even think that if you would put them in the same planting hole, they would not get in each other's way at all. I will try it. Karel Sowing daffodils

That 'just both' when in doubt, that's what I indirectly thought of when I was sowing the seeds of the Daffodils with Karel this week. I said to Karel 'did you know that when grandpa was the same age as I am now, and he planted his Daffodil seeds, he never saw them bloom again'. 'And then saddle me with it, keep breathing, old man!' said Karel laughing. But still... you never know. So when in doubt, don't think too long, just both. Narcissus seed

We digress, it's enough for today, I go outside again. There's bound to be a bulb here and there that wants to be planted.

Kind regards and see you next week,

Carlos van der Veek

Oh yes, also a thank you to Jan Vink for his Love Story. Thanks Jan. The foot massage was a bit of a struggle for me, I still have nightmares about it but luckily it paid off. I will neatly plant your monster bulbs of this breathtaking Tulip. Our Fluwel customers will be very grateful to you next year. What you do to get a beautiful Tulip in your assortment. Catastrophe 😊