One of the common garden plants in many European countries is the narrow-leaved peony. In Russia, this plant is less common. Growing it is mainly done by experienced gardeners.
External description
A feature of this plant is its unusual leaves. Unlike other garden peonies, they have a shape dissected into needle-shaped lobes and resemble ferns. The bush is dense, compact, grows no more than 50 cm in height. The flowering period begins in late spring. Around the end of May, large single flowers appear with one row of bright red petals and yellow anthers in the middle, which look like a flash in the spring garden. On one bush can be located more than a dozen flowers that emit a unique aroma. Flowering lasts a little over a week.
But even after the narrow-leaved peony fades, it does not lose its decorative effect thanks to the airy light green foliage.
Growing conditions
This plant is quite unpretentious and can easily tolerate small frosts or drought. To grow a narrow-leaved peony is quite within the power of even a novice grower. However, certain conditions must be observed in order for the plant to be a decoration of the garden as long as possible .
A peony needs well-lit places, with a lack of light, flowers may simply not appear on it. The soil should be moderately moist. Excessive waterlogging leads to rotting of the root system. Good watering is required only during the period of bud setting. It is not recommended to plant narrow-leaved peony on sandy soils. The deterioration of flowering can cause excessive use of fertilizers.
Breeding
Peony is usually propagated by dividing the bush, but seed sowing can also be used. In early September, when the days are not so hot, they plant these flowers by rhizome division. To do this, use old bushes, whose age is at least 5 years. Rhizome is divided into several parts so that each had 3 or 4 buds of renewal.
To propagate peony seeds, they must first be prepared. Boxes with this planting material are collected a little immature, until they are fully opened.
Sowing is done at the end of September, so the seeds are carefully packed and stored until the fall in the refrigerator. This method is used mainly for selection, since in this case it is possible only after 3, or even 4 years to observe how the narrow-leaved peony blooms.
Landing
A place is prepared in advance where the peonies will grow. To do this, dig a landing hole measuring 60x80 cm or more. When planting several plants, it is required to observe a distance between them of at least 1 meter. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the pit, which is covered with compost from the top with mineral fertilizers and wood ash. After that, a small mound is formed on the bottom of the pit from the usual garden land, on which the rhizome is located. Before planting, it is recommended to treat the place of cut with a solution of wood ash for disinfection purposes. It is necessary to bury the peony so that the apical kidney is 6 cm above the surface of the soil.
Reproduction by seeds allows you to get a large amount of planting material. At the end of September, seeds are sown to a depth of 5-6 cm on a prepared bed or in a special container. In this case, a certain part of coarse river sand is added to the soil.
Care
Like all garden plants, the narrow-leaved peony needs watering, top dressing and timely harvesting of weeds. Excessive moisture for this plant is detrimental, so you need to water it only when the soil begins to dry out. In dry summers you need to regularly moisten the soil. In the rainy period, the plant does not need watering.
Top dressing with mineral fertilizers should be carried out only 3-4 years after planting. If the soil is poor in composition, then this can be done after 2 years. It is important not to overdo it, since an excess of nitrogen, for example, can lead to rotting of the rhizome, as well as affect the quality of flowering.
So that the thin-leaved peony (narrow-leaved) does not lose its decorative appearance even after flowering, it is cut at the level of the upper leaf. Thanks to this, the plant takes on a more compact form, and seed boxes do not spoil its appearance.
Pests bypass the peony. And only aphids can sometimes attack him. To combat it, it is enough to spray the plant with a specially prepared solution of infusion of tobacco and soap. Excess moisture can cause various fungal diseases. For preventive purposes, a peony can be sprayed with Bordeaux fluid.
Peony is able to tolerate frosts well, therefore, does not require shelter for the winter. But in regions with severe winters, you can cover it with spruce branches, paying special attention to the fact that the roots are not exposed.
Healing properties
The narrow-leaved peony, the cultivation of which is usually carried out for decorative purposes, is also used to treat a number of diseases. Its diuretic, antispasmodic and sedative effect has been known in folk medicine for a long time. Peony rhizome is used for the preparation of various home medicines, which are used to treat gout, anemia, nervous diseases. Decoction of the root helps with pain in the heart, stones in the bladder and kidneys, concussion.
It should be remembered that when using products based on this plant, it is very important to observe the dosage, since in the roots of the peony there is an increased content of a toxic substance called neonin. Therefore, before use, it is better to consult your doctor.
Use in landscape design
Human activity (plowing the steppes, grazing, etc.) has led to the fact that wild peony now refers to plants in need of conservation. Breeding in parks and gardens helps to preserve this species, contributing to its distribution.
In landscape design, the narrow-leaved peony has proven itself perfectly, the terry variety of which is especially good in combination with sparse bushes, cereals and perennial flax. It looks good on slides, rock gardens, mixborders. These flowers are planted both in composition and individually.
You can place several different
varieties of peonies on one bed
, blooming at different times. Narrow-leaved peony planted among stones or amid a scree looks very beautiful. Photos of all kinds of compositions with this plant show how many options for using its decorative properties exist.