by King's Nursery | Feb 2, 2020 | General
We’ve got a nice big crop of peonies here! They will be sprouting buds and foliage very quickly! Our peonies are big and full and will bloom beautifully this season- no waiting for years to see a flower. Ready to spring forth with lush foliage and plump buds, and ready to take home now so you can enjoy the unfurling springtime show.
Never grown peonies before? If you like to cut bouquets you will LOVE them! You gotta see these things in bloom…..
‘Takara’ Itoh peony
We are thrilled to grow peonies every year. Lush plants that have ripe, colorful buds, exotic leaves and breathtaking flowers.
‘Pink Double Dandy’
The peony has always been my dream flower, with it’s distinctive petals and sweet old-fashioned perfume- almost too perfect looking to be real! A photo doesn’t do this beauty proper justice, and if you’ve seen these blooms in reality you know how breathtaking they are.
We’ve got several different kinds right now, grown in large enough containers so as to readily bloom this year. They’re long-lived perennials that can give you lifelong bouquets, and will thrive here in Sonoma County with minimal care when planted properly.
Fat juicy buds
To start, choose a spot that gets full (or at least afternoon) sun. If you’re putting your peony in the ground, work lots of rich compost like Paydirt into the hole, and add some starter fertilizer like Masterstart. This will not only add proper nutrients like nitrogen and phospherous, but will also break up heavy clay soil and promote good drainage. If you’d like to plant in a container, that’s fine- just use Planting Mix straight from the bag, but don’t forget that starter fertilizer.
‘Bowl of Beauty’ bush peony
The most recently developed peonies are exceptionally lush and leafy, with loads of flowers and a more extended bloomtime than old-fashioned kinds. These are the intersectional hybrids called Itoh (eye-toe), a vigorous cross between bush-type and tree-type. You really get the best of both worlds here- flower colors and foliage like the exotic tree peonies, but with the bushier habit and sun tolerance of standard bush peonies.
Cut flower aficionados are just wild about the blooms- extra-large, long-lasting, fragrant, and just downright show-stopping! When you cut a budded stem that is beginning to open, it will continue blooming in the vase for quite a while. Gorgeous!
Cruise on in to check out of our peony selection, and while you’re here we can certainly answer your questions and/or help you pick out the right one for your garden.
by King's Nursery | Sep 2, 2019 | General, How-to Info
At Kings we just love sweet peas mostly because they do a bunch of things. They are reasonably easy, they grow during the cooler months, they can climb or ramble, they are very cut-able and they smell wonderful. Here are a few tips on sweet peas so you can have fun and success.
When to plant: As mentioned, Sweet Peas like the weather on the cool side, on the other hand, they need a bit of warmth to germinate and eventually bloom. In Sonoma County you may direct seed into the prepared soil in August, September and October. This gives the plants time to sprout before it gets cold. Normal frosts will not kill the plants. Indeed, during the cool winter, the roots continue to grow providing strength in very early Spring. If you have missed the direct seeding time, you may start them indoors and plant them outside anytime during the Winter and all the way through early Spring.
Location: Full Sun to no less than half a day of full sun.
Germination: Most folks find this pretty easy. In the ground, care should be taken to prepare the soil deeply, to about 12” or more if you are energetic. After working the soil, add Master Nursery Pay Dirt and Master Start and work again. Water so the soil is moist, not soggy and plant the seeds about an inch deep.
Keep evenly moist, but not soggy. Over watering can rot them. Another method would be to prepare the bed early and plant the seeds right when the Winter rains are starting. For indoors we use Master Nursery Potting soil right out of the bag, filling a six pack, small pots or greenhouse/flat kits designed for starting seeds. Again the seed is placed about an inch deep and watered several times thoroughly. Water thoroughly again when it is dry. There is no need for daily water, only when necessary. Germination can happen as soon as 7 days. Once sprouted, put them in a sunny location until the sprouts are a couple of inches tall, then outside to a sheltered spot, then into the garden or containers. Some folks soak the seed overnight before planting, we find that this is generally not necessary.
Growing: Most sweet peas need a structure. The exceptions are dwarf and knee high varieties, which can be grown with or without support and even in hanging baskets and on the sides of containers if you do not mind the sprawling look. Your structure can be as plain or as fancy as you like, but please make it sturdy and a bit bigger than you think that it ought to be. We have used bamboo hoops for smaller varieties, or redwood stakes for full sized ones. We have also attached a trellis to a large container with great success. Whatever the method you choose, remember that when the young peas reach out for support, they will need to be gently tied, especially at first and in a timely manner. As the stems age they can become a bit brittle, making the job difficult. We find that once they are started out on the right track they keep on track fine just by themselves. Spacing for new plants should be about 6 to 8 inches apart in your prepared soil. Please remember to work the soil. Your ultimate results are always tied to the soil. Subsequent feeding can be any complete food. We recommend slow release Osmocote or Master Nursery Multi Purpose. Whichever you choose, please do it. Those nasty snails can be a problem when your plants are young and defenseless. Put down plenty of Sluggo Plus to make sure all the crawling critters stay away.
Other Stuff: Keep the flowers cut. This is important and fun. Sweet peas are cool season annuals and will produce armloads of flowers if you cut the spent ones off as soon as they start to drop petals. This will provide you with non-stop bouquets with room-filling fragrance, and will bloom for weeks and weeks. As the weather warms in Spring, please water your peas consistently as this will also increase length of bloom.
The most recently developed peonies are exceptionally lush and leafy, with loads of flowers and a more extended bloomtime than old-fashioned kinds. These are the intersectional hybrids called Itoh (eye-toe), a vigorous cross between bush-type and tree-type. You really get the best of both worlds here- flower colors and foliage like the exotic tree peonies, but with the bushier habit and sun tolerance of standard bush peonies.