26 KEY CLAIRE AUSTIN PEONIES
1 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl of Cream’ Every petal of the smooth, scented, creamy-white, double flowers, curves inwards, forming a bowl-like centre. Flowers from early mid season to late season. 80cm. RHS H6†.
2 Paeonia lactiflora ‘ Pink Cameo’ Lavender-pink petals with a central boss of baby pink petalioids. A prolific flowerer and very fragrant. 1m. RHS H7.
3 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Pillow Talk’ The beautiful, scented, powder puff flowers of soft, pure pink are freely produced on strong stems boasting lush, dark-green leaves. Mid-season. 80cm.
4 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Karl Rosenfield’ Has fragrant, bright-magenta double blooms and a boss of golden stamens that become more prominent as the blooms mature. 80cm. RHS H6.
5 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Florence Ellis’ The pure-white flowers, notched petals and cream petaloids of this lightly scented cultivar make it a good cut flower. 85cm.
6 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Albert Crousse’ A late-flowering and gently scented old cultivar with soft-pink double flowers. Its tightly packed petals are flecked with crimson and suffused with cream. 90cm. RHS H6.
7 Paeonia ‘Bridal Icing’ The cream central petals of this gorgeous, scented peony look like a scoop of ice cream. Good for cutting. Mid to late season. 90cm.
8 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Auguste Dessert’ A reliable, deep-rose-pink, semi-double with deep-yellow stamens, fragrant flowers and good autumn foliage. Flowers mid to late season. 90cm. RHS H6.
9 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Nymphe’ Its deep-pink flowers are strongly scented and like most single peonies, an excellent nectar source for bees. Late season. 80cm. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.
10 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Paul M Wild’ One of the best reds for a cut flower; the brilliant, rich red of the double flowers is very pure. Mid season. 90cm. RHS H6.
11 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Mr GF Hemerik’ Deep-pink petals surround a dome of broad, cream petaloids that fade with age. An easy peony to grow. Mid-season. 1m. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.
12 Paeonia ‘Coral Charm’ An impressive, coral-coloured, semidouble. Its long-lasting flowers age to soft peach and are carried on long, red stems. Can last for ten days as a cut flower. 85cm. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.
13 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Philippe Rivoire’ Very dark crimson with entwined central petals, like a rose. Can be shy to bloom, but wonderful when it does. Richly scented. Flowers late season. 85cm.
14 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Kansas’ A late-flowering cultivar with fabulous double flowers that are a clear, rich pink-red. Excellent for cutting. 1.2m.
15 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Nancy Nicholls’ The big, fluffy, white flowers with a blush pink tinge are lightly scented. One of the best late-flowering cultivars. 90cm.
16 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ Its large, double-domed, rose-pink flowers tend to flop but it is worth growing for its heady rose-like scent. Mid season. 90cm.
17 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Nippon Beauty’ Deep-red, almost garnet-coloured, petals form a cup around large central ribbons, which are charmingly lined with cream. Late flowering. 90cm.
18 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Adolphe Rousseau’ A mid-season peony with rich, cerise-red double flowers and yellow stamens. Although it has no scent it is always loaded with flowers. 95cm.
19 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Miss America’ Semi-double peony flowers are most unusual and the glistening white flowers of this fragrant cultivar are particularly special. Early to mid-season. 90cm. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b.
20 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ One of Claire’s favourites, this scented double has pure-pink flowers that are tinted with silver around the edges. Its long stems make this late-season peony a classic flower for cutting. 1m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.
21 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Myrtle Gentry’ Another of Claire’s favourites; the large blush-pink, double flowers, fade to white with age and it has an excellent shape and scent. A mid-season bloom, it is long lasting in a vase. 90cm.
22 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl of Beauty’ This deservedly popular Japanese cultivar boasts bright-pink guard petals and ribbon-like, pale-lemon petaloids. Free flowering and slightly scented. Mid season. 80cm. AGM. RHS H6.
23 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sweet Sixteen’ A lovely peony. The delightful, lightly scented, very double, ball-shaped flowers are a delicate shade of blush pink. Mid-season. 70cm. 24 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Shirley Temple’ Claire’s mother planted this lightly scented cultivar in a shady spot 20 years ago, and it produces more than 50 flowers a year. Mid-season. 85cm. RHS H6. 25 Paeonia ‘Prairie Charm’ The gorgeous, semi-double, yellow flower opens into a deep cup revealing raspberry flares at the base of each petal. Autumn foliage is burnished pewter. 90cm. 26 Paeonia lactiflora ‘Pink Parfait’ This late-season peony is initially domeshaped; its big, scented flowers open into deep, shaggy, rose-pink blooms before flattening out into what looks like a crown. 83cm. RHS H6. • Most of the peonies featured are available as bare-root plants from Claire Austin Hardy Perennials from October to March. claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk