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Peonies that Bloom All Summer?

© Mary Henry

I was recently asked "When are they going to develop a peony that blooms all summer?" It was asked offhandedly in a social situation instead of the usual "How are you?" and I responded with a horticultural equivalent to "Fine, thanks", but the question stuck in my head.

Do we really want peonies that bloom all summer? That offhand query came back to me the next time I was busy in the garden. This is my best time to mull over issues, great and small. After much reflection, I decided that the answer was "no". I really don't want peonies that bloom all summer.

I believe that one of the most treasured aspects of gardening for most of us is the constant change. Unlike many of the changes in our lives, change in the garden is almost always viewed with anticipation and hope. When the spring bulbs are done the roses will start then the daisies will bloom, the mums won't be far behind, and the next growing season is a whole new chance to do things better.

Personally, I would rather enjoy the seasonal changes among garden plants. As each perennial comes into bloom, I look forward to finding combinations of color, form and texture that become truly memorable events instead of long, ultimately tiresome reigns.

I've often looked at the advertising art in some garden catalogs that depict the wide range of plants in some collection as all blooming together. It is rarely a photograph, the plants shown have a wide range of bloom times and the first don't overlap the last. Some people think it is false advertising. I think it is a blessing.

After the glory of the spring bulbs, I'm ready for the arising perennials to cover the ripening remains. In my youth, the peony explosion happened at the right time for decorating commencement exercises, pre-nuptial bridesmaids' luncheons and the honored dead on Memorial Day. Peonies are all the more beloved for their spectacular, spring-only event. Were they to have an all-summer reign, there would have to be dead and dying blooms among budding and newly opened ones. This would dampen the whole show in my opinion.

I find that learning the lessons that come with constant change in the garden makes me a bolder gardener. Instead of fearing to act, at the end of the season I treat my plants as if they had wheels, always hunting new and better combinations or more hospitable sites for old ones. As the tableaux unfolds the next season and some combination really works, I am in awe of what I have accomplished. Garden design is truly a fine art.

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