HOSTS OF GAY FLOWERING PLANTS 
45 
PEONY CULTURE 
Another perennial that we were taught would not grow in the 
South is now well established in many small, as well as large, gar¬ 
dens. It only requires a little added attention, and that very little, 
for the Peony, after once planted in the right location and in a 
thoroughly prepared bed, asks to be undisturbed (except for a 
little fertilizer added now and then) for years. Plant where it will 
be shaded from the hot afternoon sun, and always plant Peonies 
in the fall. 
Dig a hole about one and one-half to two feet deep."* Mix sand 
and leaf loam with your soil. If one prefers using stable manure, 
place it at the very bottom of the hole in which you plant your 
Peony. Cover the manure with some of the topsoil, so that it does 
not touch the large root of the plant. If Peonies are planted too 
deeply, they will form large bushes but will never bloom. Set them 
so that the dormant buds are covered with earth only to a depth of 
from one-half to one inch. This insures freezing of the roots in 
the winter time, a very essential requirement of the Peony. 
During the winter, water the beds well about once a month. 
This moisture takes the place of the winter snows of the East. 
Every fall and spring fertilize with bonemeal, worked into the soil 
with a little trowel, not too close to the plant. Once or twice a year 
sprinkle a little lime on the soil around each plant, and water in. 
DELPHINIUM 
Delphiniums, although most temperamental, can be raised even 
in our extreme climate. Some find that they are best treated as 
annuals and planted each fall. They must be planted in the fall in 
this climate, and in a very rich soil, for they are gross feeders. If 
manure is used, put it a foot or two under the soil in which they 
are planted,* for either cow or sheep manure causes root-rot if 
close to this plant. The best fertilizers to use are bonemeal or 
Vigoro. 
Dig soil about eighteen inches deep and spade under sand, peat¬ 
moss and tobacco dust. Then put in the plants, but do not plant 
♦Editorial Note:—Although most beautiful. Delphinium and Peonies are difficult to grow 
in the Southwest, while Dahlias are as great a problem in some sections. 
Choice of 
Location 
for 
Peonies 
Time to 
Plant 
Preparation 
of Beds 
for any 
Perennial 
How to 
Plant 
Moisture 
Needed 
How to 
Treat 
Delphinium 
Planting 
Directions 
