Peonies - charming flowers, garden decoration. In America there is the Society of Peonies (AmOP), in the capital of Russia - the club "Florists of Moscow" with the section "Peonies". Few representatives of the flora receive such an honor. Among a large number of plant varieties, a special place is occupied by the peony Ann Cousins.
Peony Ann Cousins - what kind of variety
Florists of Moscow awarded Ann Cousins a peony prize in the Milk White Varieties category. This is an intraspecific variety. Originator Gilbert H. Wild & Son bred him in 1946. Since then, this herbaceous plant of the Pionovy family delights gardeners with a milky cream color.
Peony Ann Cousins
It is interesting! In the scientific name of the genus, the name of the ancient Greek god Pean is immortalized. According to myth, he healed the Olympic gods, saved from the death of Hades himself, when he was wounded by Hercules. At some point, Pean fell out of favor with the god of healing Asclepius, who wanted to poison him. But Hades turned his savior into a rose-like flower. A wonderful legend corresponds to the charm of a garden plant.
The flower has been domesticated for so long that in the wild you can no longer meet it. The homeland of the peony is considered to be Southeast Asia. It grows in the southern, middle and northern latitudes of all continents.
Description, characteristics
Peony flower Anne Cousins - the latest flowering of the family. Features of decorative culture:
- Many-headed rhizome with spindle-shaped roots.
- The stems are thick, elastic, long. They grow to 90 cm. They are prone to bending and require support.
- The leaves are dark green, attached to the stem with stalks. The width and length of the double-ternary-divided plates is 25-30 cm. The fractions have an elongated lanceolate shape.
- The flower is thick, has a beautiful pink shape. The bud is composed of rounded petals of the same size. To the center they are compactly assembled, seemingly velvety. The flowers are heavy, large, in diameter up to 20 cm. Greenish buds gradually become creamy. Then, when blooming, the color changes to pure white. In the core itself, a faint lime green with a slight yellowness is visible. It emphasizes the flawless whiteness of the petals.
- The aroma is fresh. Not a strong smell resembles a sweet strawberry with tart cherry. Connoisseurs find notes of raspberry.
- The fruits are leaflets. Black shiny seeds ripen in each, suitable for breeding.
Flower Anna pion has no stamens and pistils, grows slowly. The plant tolerates frosts well near Moscow, the Urals, and the mountainous regions of Scandinavia.
Anne Cousins in the garden
Flower growing
Once planted peony Ann Cousins lives in one place for 8-10 years. It shows varietal qualities in the second or third year. Until this time, he is not transplanted.
Choosing a place and soil
Since the culture grows for a long time in the designated corner of the garden, the front garden, a place for it is carefully selected. The dense shade and the proximity to fruit trees do not fit the peony. Cold drafts, close proximity to buildings and dead fences are also not the best place.
Choose a site ventilated, sunny, or with a diffused shadow. The sun should fall on a peony 6 hours a day. The ideal soil option is cultivated loam. Slightly acidic soils are suitable. If the acidity of the soil is higher than pH 6-6.5, then it is deoxidized with lime or ash. When groundwater comes close to the surface, the roots rot out, so it’s best to choose a hillock.
Before planting, they dig a shovel on a bayonet, remove weeds, garbage, stones. The earth is loosened and allowed to "breathe".
Seed selection
Peony is planted with rhizome rhizomes. They are bought in specialized places. The material is not cheap, so take healthy-looking rhizomes. They should be juicy, fresh, thick. It is good when there are many small roots. Material with black spots, traces of rot and fungus is not taken.
Important! Growth points are clearly marked on the rhizome. You need to choose a delenka with two to three processes.
Peony Anne Cousins Planting Material
Landing time
Florists are advised to do this in the fall, when the flower is in a dormant period. In fertilized soil, it will take root before frost. Before winter, it is enough to mulch the seedling or cover it with burlap. After the snow melts, the shelter is removed as soon as possible - the kidneys quickly begin to grow.
If it was not possible to plant a peony in the fall, it is planted in the spring. But the rehabilitation period is greatly delayed. Choose warm weather when the ground is completely thawed. Night mild frosts are not scary to the plant.
Procedure step by step
The finished dividend paeonia Ann Cousins is planted in open ground as follows:
- Dig a cone-shaped hole. Diameter 50 cm, depth 60 cm.
- The bottom is covered with a drainage layer (expanded clay, stones, gravel).
- Dug the earth mixed with compost, dolomite flour (100 g), ash (3 cups). 200 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate (70 g) are added there.
- The pit is filled with earth so that 15 cm is left to the edge.
- In the middle they have a dividend.
- The roots are covered with earth along with the kidneys. They should be 5 cm deep.
- Gently crush the soil, watered.
- The planting method is mulched with improvised materials (sawdust, peat).
Important! The landing site does not touch 3-4 years. The culture is characterized by slow growth. An adult bush can be called only after this time.
Cultivation agricultural
Caring for your crop is easy. The peony will grow even without supervision, but so that the flowers are large and decoratively attractive, the bush is moderately watered before and during flowering. After that, they wait until the soil dries 5 cm in depth - by overflow you can rot the root system.
Pruning consists of removing faded buds. The stems and flowers are heavy, so they put props near the flower.
In the first two years, the plant is not fertilized. Then, in the spring, along with watering, 20 g of superphosphate are added to build up green mass. At the time of flowering, peony is fed with potash fertilizer.
Weeding and loosening will not allow weeds to grow, will ensure the flow of oxygen to the roots.
Peony Ann Cousins in Landscaping
The culture is used in the garden, parks, on alpine slides. Peony looks good as a lonely standing bush. Especially against the background of a green lawn or near the steps to the house, garden gazebo. This is an independent decorative element.
Spectacular curbs of white peonies are obtained. The plant blooms by the end of July, when its brethren have already bloomed. Paths framed by such flowers will delight until the fall.
In the group, peony is combined with red and yellow representatives of the species or with other families with different flowering periods (lilies, hosts, primrose). Between the bushes planted onion flowers. When they fade, dried stems are cut. Peony with wide leaves perfectly decorates this place.
Breeding
Peonies are bred by dividing the bush. This is done for 4-5 years of plant life, when it has at least 7 shoots. Separate the bush at the time of planting.
Peony roots are fragile, so the plant is dug up with a large lump of earth. It is shaken off, the roots are allowed to dry, the tops are shortened to 15 cm. Then, with a knife, the root is divided into dividers. Each should have 2-3 shoots and 3 growth buds. Immediately after division, parts of the rhizome are planted in new places.
Propagation by root cuttings is a long way. A piece of rhizome with a kidney is separated from the bush at the base of the stem, rooting it on the bed. Cover with jars and bottles is not necessary. The seedling is looked after, watered, loosened the ground. They wrap him up for the winter. With a good outcome, the plant will develop by five years.
Note! Seeds are used to breed hybrids. For home conditions, the method is considered irrational.
Peony Ann Cousins - the most beautiful representative of its kind. An unpretentious plant is important to plant correctly - choose a place and seedlings. The culture grows slowly, blooms in the second or third year. In one place, a peony lives for decades. Top dressing, watering, loosening the flower is carried out as part of the usual care. Pests do not touch the bush, peony is resistant to disease.
