Trick for Maintaining Peonies Straight and Flawless in Photos
Gardening can be a real headache, especially when your peonies decide to throw a party on the ground instead of the table they were invited to. You know the scene - massive blooms, weighed down by rain or dew,Toppling like a tipsy aunt at a wedding. But fear not, because this genius gardener came up with a lifesaver of an idea.
Check out this video by @bricksandblooms where she rigs up a clever contraption for her peonies. All she needs are some metal wires and her Eureka moment to create a support system that's as elegant as it is effective.
So, why do peonies keep ending up in the mud? Well, those heavy blooms coupled with their puny stems just can't handle the weight, especially when the wind or water comes calling. Some folks use single stakes or hoops, but peonies have a mind of their own, always leaning in the most inconvenient directions. We need something that keeps them upright from all angles without turning our flower beds into fortresses.
Enter the wire support frame. The best time to put it in place is before those blooms take over. Once the stems shoot up and buds form, it becomes a tangled mess. A golden window of opportunity awaits right after they emerge from the ground, when leaves are taking their sweet time unfolding, but the plant's still compact.
First things first, push about six strong metal garden wires or rods into the soil around the peony plant. Space them evenly to form a low frame, approximately the height of two-thirds the final bloom height. Then, create a flat, circular mesh panel using more wire. This mesh lid should have holes the size of a peony stem. Place it over the vertical wires, putting it just above the current height of the foliage.
As the plant grows, the stems will naturally thread through the mesh openings. Once the blooms open, each stem is held upright without the need for ties or any extra help. The best part? Once the foliage takes over, the support structure disappears, leaving a full, lush mound of upright blooms behind. If the mesh is made well and stored come winter, you can reuse it year after year.
And let's not forget about our tall friends - dahlias, gladiolus, and double-headed sunflowers. They're just as prone to keeling over on a busy day. With a simple wire support, they can make it through the season without spending too much time in the mud.
Oh, and here's a fun fact: peonies can live for decades, even more than 70 years in some cases. They're in it for the long haul, outlasting gardeners, fences, and sometimes even houses. They're like the forever friends you didn't know you needed in your garden.
That's Bonnie Ferrero, the creative soul who brought us this hack. She's all about hiking, cooking, decorating, and more, so it's no surprise she's found a way to keep her peonies standing tall and proud.
- Gardener Bonnie Ferrero, known for her interest in decor, hiking, cooking, and more, shares a clever solution for keeping peonies upright - a wire support frame that can be reused year after year.
- To implement the wire support frame for peonies, first insert six strong metal garden wires or rods evenly into the soil around the plant, forming a low frame, and then create a flat, circular mesh panel to place over the vertical wires, ensuring each stem can naturally thread through the mesh openings as it grows.
- Not limited to peonies, similar wire support structures can be used for taller flowers like dahlias, gladiolus, and double-headed sunflowers to keep them standing tall without spending too much time in the mud.
