HOUSE AND GARDEN I 
1 3 2 
September, 1913 
Three of the almost innumerable kinds of peony, giving an idea of the wide variations in form and color that are to be had. At the left is 
Rex rubrum, a good double red; in the center a white form of Mouian, and at the right Officinalis , variety Otto Froebel 
more highly cultured relatives. Up to the middle of the last cen¬ 
tury, however, this particular species was all that we had to 
choose from, and dark red was the predominating color, although 
a pink and blush white were not uncommon. 
This is the peony of the ancients, which is wild in southern 
Europe—the Paeonia of Pliny, possessed, according to Homer, of 
wonderful medicinal qualities, and used by Paeon to cure Plato of 
the wound given him by Hercules — hence the name of the genus 
from the ancient physician, and its survival to the present day. 
Not as old, perhaps — though it 
may be for aught known to the 
contrary; certainly it is by no 
means a garden upstart—is the 
comparatively new-to-us tree peony 
of China, the “Meutang” or mou- 
tan. This has been the pride and 
the glory of the Chinese for more 
than 1,400 years, according to ac¬ 
counts which came with it to the 
Occident; for in the sixth century 
it and its herbaceous companion. 
Pceonia albiflora — which has been 
the means of furnishing us so many 
hundreds of varieties in place of 
the old red and pink and white 
officinalis — were the most highly 
honored flowers in the gardens of 
China. They were called, respect¬ 
ively, Hwa Wang — “The King of 
Flowers,” — and Hwa Seang — “The 
King’s Minister,” — the “Mow Tan” 
or tree peony being regarded as 
even more beautiful than the Sho 
Yo or herbaceous Pceonia albiflora. 
Of course, there are other valu¬ 
able species among the herbaceous 
group, but the great mass of valu¬ 
able hybrids are the product of of¬ 
ficinalis and albiflora, and the ma¬ 
jority of the plants offered by the 
trade are referable to these parents. 
Whatever the variety to be planted, it is generally conceded 
that a heavy soil suits peonies the best — a deep, stiff, clay loam. 
The plants must have quantities of water, and, of course, such a 
soil retains water. It must, however, be well drained, for they 
will not endure a sour or soggy condition. The roots grow very 
deep, consequently there must be deep preparation made for 
them. The ground should be plowed or spaded and broken up or 
pulverized for at least two feet down and heavily enriched dur¬ 
ing these processes. For peonies are, of all plants, perhaps, the 
most glutinous. Well-rotted stable 
manure worked into the soil is the 
best fertilizer that can be given. 
After the general application of 
this is made in the original prepa¬ 
ration of the ground, however, it 
should be applied always close to 
the plant, for the feeding roots of 
the peony are not spread over a 
wide area. Mulch them every fall 
with a good layer of manure and 
work this in around the plants in 
the spring after taking away the 
coarsest of the litter. Never leave 
stable manure, either old or fresh, 
around the plants during the sum¬ 
mer, for it is almost sure to be a 
source of disease to them. 
The ideal time for planting is 
immediately after the season’s 
growth is accomplished and the 
bud of the next season formed on 
the crown. All this is done by 
September usually in the eastern 
section of the United States, 
which is the reason why Septem¬ 
ber is pre-eminently the peony 
month in the garden. Of course, 
the plants may be moved in the 
spring, if for any reason this is 
necessary, but owing to their great 
hardiness — the peony is native to 
The double Festiva maxima has magnificently large white 
blossoms. Some of the festiva varieties have carmine marks 
in their centers 
