10 perfect plants for Mother’s Day

NPeony ‘Coral Sunset’

EXT Sunday is Mother’s Day, an occasion when countless bunches of flowers will change hands.

But instead of giving your mum a bouquet, why not give her a beautiful spring-flowering plant that will give her pleasure for years?

Spring is a time of blossom and early perennials and they don’t come any more beautiful than this astonishing peony, above, which is one of hundreds of varieties raised by expert grower, Billy Carruthers at Binny Plants in West Lothian.

At this time of year Billy’s nursery is filled with the promise of glamorous and gorgeous peonies, each one opening its leaves and developing the plump buds that in the months ahead will unfurl into petals that look like silk. Some are scented, all of them are desirable and the colours range from pure white to deepest scarlet.

“‘Coral Sunset’ is one of the best of the orange-flowered peonies,” says Billy.

“While the others produce around 12 flowers, this will carry up to 20 blooms.

“These start off a deep salmon pink then fade through peach to yellow, so you get this wonderful range of colours and they make excellent cut flowers, too.”

Like all peonies, says Billy, ‘Coral Sunset’ is very long-lived and easy to grow.

It should be planted in rich, moist soil in a sunny part of the garden, with the crown just beneath the surface of the soil.

“If you want to spoil them, give your peonies some bonemeal in February and a high potash feed in August, but they will survive quite happily without it and flower beautifully in May, so long as they are in good soil.”

What you can’t do, says Billy, is cover them with manure.

“This would introduce fungal spores, which you certainly don’t want and could bury the crown, which may stop your peony from flowering.”

And don’t be concerned about the first shoots that appear in January.

“People worry that the weather will damage them, but peonies can survive any amount of frost or snow.

“Just make sure that you don’t grow them in a part of the garden that gets waterlogged and they will be just fine.”

Price: £12.50; Binny Plants, Ecclesmachan, West Lothian, RH52 6NL; visit binnyplants.com or call 01506 858931.