We are searching data for your request:
Forums and discussions:
Manuals and reference books:
Data from registers:
Upon completion, a link will appear to access the found materials.
Outdoor plant
Outdoor plants are the most loved by those who have the opportunity to engage in gardening. The outdoor ones allow you to get showy and spectacular floral compositions that at home, either for reasons of space or for unsuitable environmental conditions, it is not possible to cultivate. The plants for the garden also make it possible to choose among the innumerable quantities available, even the most difficult to cultivate, having at disposal large patches of land and the possibility of transplants and grafts without space limitations. Among these one that surely can beautify a garden or a large terrace is the peony. This is a plant for outdoor environments, belonging to the family of the ranunculaceae and therefore of the perennial type which is distinguished in two types: the first is a herbaceous plant originating in China, Japan and Siberia, widespread also in Europe; the second is a shrubby plant also of oriental origin also called peony suffruticosa. In Italy we find herbaceous peony called officinalis, very common in gardens. In its typical form it reaches seventy-eighty centimeters in height, it has green leaves divided into slender and lanceolate segments and simple flowers of about five centimeters in diameter. The varieties derived from it have double flowers, which appear in the months of April-May; in addition to white, the most common colors are red-purple, ruby red and flesh-pink with a deep pink hue. Herbaceous and perennial plants are also Chinese peonies very appreciated for the beauty of their flowers derived from the peony nicknamed lactiflora or albiflora originally also from the Far East. These peonies bloom from May to June and have very large flowers of ten to fifteen centimeters in diameter with various colors such as pink - salmon, cherry red, white and pink and salmon - orange. These beautiful flowers are also appreciated for their pleasant fragrance. The height of the species varies according to the varieties from seventy to eighty centimeters. These Chinese peonies can be grown in large pots at least sixty centimeters in diameter. The shrub peony called as already mentioned previously suffruticosa instead, presents a double flower, resists well to winter cold and feels earlier than other plants the stimuli of an early spring. However, in the case of late frost or bad weather, the shoots can be severely damaged and this is perhaps the only negative note of a plant typically from outside.
Cultivation of herbaceous peony
Herbaceous peonies require half-shade exposure and open and ventilated spaces. They are rustic plants that winter outdoors even in the presence of a temperate-continental climate. They prefer hearty soils, not too light, rather alkaline. We generally use clayey-siliceous earth mixed with highly decomposed leaf mold. The multiplication can be obtained in autumn by division of the stocks, Caring to preserve some parts of roots detached from the stock-mother with at least a couple of buds. They can also be multiplied by young suckers that come off at the foot of the mother plant. In this case, before placing them in another soil, they are kept in small pots individually for a certain period so that they can take root and develop. For this phase it is advisable to use prestressed peat jars, so the young plant will not be disturbed by the transplant. The peony lactiflora is a highly decorative plant, it can be exploited for the formation of groups of color in the garden and should always be placed in areas of partial shade.
Cultivation of suffrutticosa peony
The peony suffruticosa is a very ornamental, branched shrub with bipinnate leaves from twenty-five to forty centimeters long. The flowers in the typical species are twelve to fifteen centimeters pink-purple in color. The varieties derived from it have simple, double or semi-double flowers much larger that reach thirty centimeters in diameter; their colors are very varied and all precious, sometimes in contrasting shades. Another peculiarity is highlighted in the petals which are often rippled so as to look like silk. Among the hybrids of this shrubby plant the flowers cultivated by expert Japanese flower growers are very famous. The shrub peony can easily be cultivated in the garden because it tolerates better the winter climate even if it is particularly rigid. The soil it prefers is that of the field mixed with moorland soil. In the vessels also the drainage must be well cared for; liquid fertilizers with water soluble fertilizers are very suitable. The shrub peony also multiplies by division of the stock or by young suckers that branch off at the foot of adult plants.
Curiosity about the peony
In China in ancient times the shrub peonies were considered very valuable and were used as a remedy for the healing of wounds and for the treatment of insomnia, epilepsy and madness. Even the ancient Greeks as told in the Iliad believed in the healing properties of the peony; in fact it was argued that its extracts (which are as harmful as all the species belonging to the family of the ranunculaceae) have healed Mars wounded by Diomedes and Pluto wounded by Hercules. However, the peony can be defined as a noble plant, its large flowers make gardens and flower beds rich in colors and convey a touch of joy to the whole surrounding environment. For this reason, having this resistant garden plant guarantees value, elegance and sturdiness and allows, if used as a cut flower, to create ornaments and floral decorations out of the ordinary.
