Peony Moon over Barrington

This cultivar boasts beautiful, large, and fully double flowers. The color is an elegant creamy white. An interesting detail is the buds, which have a pinkish tint before opening. It is a very decorative and romantic-looking peony.

Peonies look great alongside plants with similar sunlight requirements. They pair wonderfully with:

• Bulb flowers (they bloom earlier than peonies).
• Ornamental grasses (they add lightness).
• Perennials such as delphiniums, catmint, lady's mantle, or irises.

Always ensure that neighboring plants do not crowd or shade your peony.

Peonies are considered mildly toxic, especially their roots and seeds if ingested in large quantities. They can cause nausea or digestive issues. However, they are safe to touch and handle during normal gardening activities.

Peonies like nutrients, but you have to choose the right ones:

• Spring: Use an organic fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorus (to support flowering). Avoid fertilizers with high nitrogen content, which would increase susceptibility to mold.
• Autumn: You can spread a thin layer (approx. 1 cm) of well-matured compost around the plant.

Planting depth is absolutely crucial for peonies. If you plant them too deeply ('drown' them), they will grow but won't bloom. Plant the roots so that:

• The growth buds (eyes) are pointing upwards.
• After watering and the soil has settled, the buds are a maximum of 2–3 cm below the surface, or their tips are just barely protruding.
• The planting hole is spacious enough (twice as wide and deep as the root system) to give the plant a good start.

Watering is critical primarily in the first year after planting, especially in spring if it is dry. Keep the substrate moderately moist, but not waterlogged.

Once the peony is established (older plants), it is relatively resilient and only requires watering during a very dry spring and early summer (during bud formation). After blooming in the summer, they tolerate dry conditions well.

Peonies are fully frost-hardy perennials in our climate.

• Before winter: Cut back the foliage in late autumn (remove the above-ground part).
• New planting: If planting late in the autumn, it is advisable to cover the newly planted specimens with evergreen boughs for the first winter.
• Spring warning: Sprouting buds can only withstand frost down to approx. -3 °C. If late spring frosts are forecast, it is better to cover them with horticultural fleece.

Yes, absolutely. The 'Moon over Barrington' variety has large, heavy, double blooms. Especially after rain, the weight of the flowers can bend the stems down to the ground. We recommend placing a circular perennial support around the plant in early spring so that the stems can grow through it and be naturally supported.

Peonies do not like to be transplanted and prefer to stay undisturbed in one spot for decades. Transplanting often results in a pause in flowering for several years. If moving is necessary:

• Do it exclusively in the autumn (September/October).
• When doing so, carefully divide the older plant into sections that have 3–7 buds.

The ideal soil is loamy, permeable, and rich in nutrients. Peonies need soil that retains adequate moisture, but it must not be permanently waterlogged or clay-heavy. In heavy, wet soil, the roots will rot. When planting, add high-quality garden soil or compost to the planting hole.

Herbaceous peonies are not ideal for growing in containers. They have a massive root system that requires depth and space, and they also require stable conditions over winter, which is difficult to ensure in a pot. Peonies will thrive best in open ground in the garden.

Peonies are sun-lovers. For abundant flowering, they need a sunny location with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. While they can tolerate partial shade, they will bloom less there. It is also important to choose a spot where they will have space around them (approx. 1 m²) and where they will not have to compete with the roots of large shrubs, trees, or aggressive hedges.

If a peony produces only leaves but no flowers, the most common causes are:

1. Planting too deep: This is the most common reason. Buds must be just below the surface.
2. Lack of sun: Peonies do not bloom in the shade.
3. Excess nitrogen fertilization: The plant then produces only foliage at the expense of flowers.
4. Young plant: Sometimes it just needs more time.

Yes, it is an excellent cut flower. Its large, long-lasting blooms look luxurious in a vase. Cut them when the buds are soft and just starting to open (showing color), ideally early in the morning.

Growing peonies requires a bit of patience, which will be rewarded many times over. Peonies are long-lived perennials that take several years to reach their full beauty.

• First year: Flowering is an exception; the plant focuses on establishing its roots.
• Subsequent years: The number and size of the flowers gradually increase.

Don't be discouraged by a slow start; a mature plant is truly a showstopper in any garden.

Under unsuitable conditions (too much moisture, shade, dense planting), peonies can suffer from fungal diseases such as gray mold (Botrytis).

Prevention:

• Plant with sufficient spacing to allow for airflow.
• Do not over-fertilize with nitrogen.
• Regularly remove and dispose of infected leaves (do not put them in the compost!).