THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



P^ONIA 



607 



GOOD SINGLE KINDS : Argus, Armida, 

 Autumnus, Bridesmaid, Countess of 

 Warwick, Duchess of Sutherland, 

 Emily, Frank Bramley, Giganteus, 

 Miss Ida Chamberlain, Mrs J. Gundry, 

 Mrs Templeman, Philip H. Miller, 

 Stanley, The King, The Queen. 

 DOUBLE KINDS : Agnes Mar Kelway, 

 Arethusa, Beaute Franchise, Canarie, 

 Comte de Paris, Coronation, Dean 

 Hole, Dr Bonavia, Due de Wellington, 

 Duchesse de Nemours, Edulis superba, 

 Ella Christine Kelway, Etendard du 

 Grand Homme, Festiva Maxima, Glory 

 of Somerset, Henri Demay, Lady 

 Alexandra Duff, Lady Curzon, Leonie, 

 Queen of Roses, Mme. Vilmorin, 

 Monsieur Rousselon, Octavie Demay, 

 Philomele, Prolifera tricolor, Mme. 

 Charming, Mme. Calot, Mme. Charles 

 Leveque, Queen Victoria, Reine des 

 Franchises, Solfatarri Virginie, Souvenir 

 de Gaspar Calot, Triomphe de Paris, 

 Venus. Theie are many others for ex- 

 ample, the forms of P. officinalis (such as 

 anemones flora, rubra, and Sabini, and the 

 rosy, crimson, and white double-flowered 

 varieties) ; also P. albiflora, peregrina, 

 paradoxa, and especially the small 

 P. tenui folia, with its feathery foliage 

 and large deep red blossoms. There 

 is a double form of this species, and 

 a variety called latifolia with broader 

 foliage, and one of the earliest of 

 Paeonies to flower. Then there is 

 P. lobata, with fine single flowers 

 of salmon-scarlet ; and P. corallina, 

 a native plant, with single reddish- 

 purple flowers followed by hand- 

 some pods of red and black seeds. 

 But the most distinct of all is P. 

 Wittmanniana, with single pale yellow 

 flowers early in May. Until recently 

 this was the only known Paeony with 

 yellow flowers, and the new P. lutea 

 belongs rather to the Tree Paeonies. 

 These, as well as the varieties, are 

 perfectly hardy, and need no protec- 

 tion against frost, however severe. 



A good moist loam, enriched with 

 cow manure, is the soil best suited 

 to Paeonias. The best season for 

 planting is September- October ; the 

 earlier the better. New roots are 

 in course of formation at that time, 

 and the plants more quickly become 

 established. In any case the planting 

 should be completed while the crowns 

 remain dormant. To divide and 

 transplant in spring when in growth 

 is fatal to success, equally bad being 

 that of transplanting large specimens 

 intact. These are grave fundamental 

 errors. Plants having three or five 



plump crowns are by far the best for 

 the planter. Have the ground well 

 prepared by manuring and by trench- 

 ing to the depth of about 3 feet, 

 and plant them at least 4 feet apart 

 in each direction. They will not 

 flower well before the second or third 

 year. An open position is best. The 

 Paeony revels in the deepest and 

 richest of soils, and once well planted 

 is good for a dozen years without 

 disturbance. When established apply 

 liquid manure in autumn and winter. 



Besides their value for the garden 

 proper, there are few plants more fitted 

 for the wild garden ; and the most 

 brilliant and one of the boldest things 

 in wild gardening is a group of scarlet 

 Paeonies, or any of the hardy species 

 in meadow grass, in early summer. 

 This may be managed so that they 

 come into the garden landscape, so 

 to say, and are seen at a considerable 

 distance from certain points of view. 

 So placed, they could not be in the 

 way when out of flower, as they some- 

 times are in the mixed border. 



P. MOUTAN (Tree Paeony). A noble 

 plant of great beauty for its varieties, 

 which are very numerous. It is hardy, 

 and properly planted requires little care ; ' 

 precious also for borders and for lawns. 

 Its blossoms are gorgeous in early spring, 

 and its young leaves assume every shade 

 of colour, from violet-crimson to green. 

 Tree Paeonies are not particular as to soil 

 or position, they grow and flower well in 

 chalky soils, or those of good sandy loam. 

 Moutans are gross feeders, and amply 

 repay generous treatments with occasional 

 top - dressings of half - decomposed cow 

 manure. 



September and October are the best 

 months for planting Moutans, but if 

 planted from pots they may be put out 

 in spring, when all danger of frosts is over. 

 Good plants set in autumn produce many 

 flowers the second or third year after 

 planting, and soon become a most attrac- 

 tive feature of the garden. They flower 

 the first of any Paeonies, and put forth 

 their blooms early in May. When plant- 

 ing, because of their early flowering, 

 positions sheltering them from north and 

 east should be selected, in order that the 

 young tender shoots and flowers may 

 escape the ill effects of spring frosts. 

 Until the second half of this century only, 

 white, rose, salmon, and lilac sorts were 

 known ; and we are indebted to Mr 

 Fortune for his Chinese varieties, most of 

 which have scarlet, violet, and magenta 

 flowers. Von Siebold, too, introduced a 

 number of Japanese varieties, which, 

 however, form a different race, and are 

 mostly single or semi-double. 



