THE PEONY DROPS
Late spring and early summer is the time that herbaceous peonies (also known by many gardeners as peony roses) burst into bloom.
While these flowers are already flowering in some gardens, in mine they are buds showing a bit of colour.
Peonies have a reputation for being hard to grow, but are plants with few problems if they are in the right garden situation, which is sunny with well-drained soil.
They’re even ignored by stock and wildlife if the experience of a fellow gardener is a guide.
While she was away, the sheep and lambs broke into her garden and feasted on the roses. The peonies, however, were left unmunched.
One pest that peonies do attract is ants. They are attracted to a sweet secretion on the buds. I’ve also noticed European wasps on the flowers. Neither insect appears to damage blooms.
Herbaceous peonies are available in pots in spring and summer, ready to plant into the garden for instant flowers. Otherwise, look out for peonies for sale in winter while they are dormant.
Bunches of these gorgeous pink, red and white flowers will also be available over the weeks ahead.
Quiz answers 1. Manchester United 2. Truman 3. Australia 4. Hyundai 5. J. D. Salinger 6. 7. Red 8. Ava Gardner 9. False 10. Sydney 11. Veal 12. February 13. The Birdcage
14. Canada 15. Wild Oats XI 16. Grandpa in My Pocket 17. MCMLXXXV 18. Slash 19. Pygmalion 20. Niels Bohr 21. False 22. Marzipan 23. John le Carré 24. San José 25. Japan
26. Kyle 27. Blue, red 28. 1960s 29. Falcon 30. Melissa Etheridge
Target word answers: agent, aglet, angel, angle, eagle, eaglet, elegant, entangle, gale, game, gamete, gannet, gate, gatemen, gean, gelt, gene, genet, gent, gentle, GENTLEMAN, gleam, glean, glee, glen, gnat, legate, mage, magnet, mange, mangle, melange, meltage, metage, negate, tang, tangle, tegmen, telega, tenge.