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N. Shore provides near-perfect growing environment

I WAS recently stumped by a caller looking for advice as
to why her peony suddenly appeared as a faded, washed-
out remnant of its former self.

Although I suggested that it

could have been related to some
form of nutrient deficiency in the 20
soil, 1 must admit to grabbing at

a
Tn retrospect, I wish J had ask- Tobiasson

ed her if she or another member
of the family might have in-
advertently applied some form of
herbicide or some other chemical
agent in the area.

It seems like a more likely cause
for such an unusual event.

The closest biological cause that
I can think of would be some
form of virus similar to that seen
in tulips, but if so, it would be a
first as far as 1 know.

Anywho, it started me thinking
once again about peonies
(paeonia) and all that they have to OVER THE GARDEN GATE
offer the modern garden.

A resurgence in the popularity They are equally attractive when
of perennial gardening has inter-planted with plantings of
boosted the average gardener’s in- _ trees and shrubs or combined with
terest in herbaceous plants such as _ other perennials in a border plant-
these. ing.

You need not be the owner of There are two main classes in
one of those untamed English cultivation, the more common
cottage gardens to appreciate these herbaceous form (meaning it dies
plants; a healthy peony will to the ground over the winter) and
become an asset in almost any the striking tree peonies.
garden setting. The herbaceous peony will form

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a multi-stemmed clump reaching
heights and widths of two to four
feet.

The dark green foliage, which is
deeply lobed, creates a bold
display which is impressive in its
own right as well as being an at-
tractive background for the
flowers.

The flowers are generally dou-
ble in form but singles are avail-
able in colors ranging from pure
white through cream, pink, red
scarlet, salmon and even yellow,

Newer-named varieties have
fragrances which can rival that of
some old-fashioned roses. Typi-
cally, the blossoms are four to six
inches across, but 10 to even 12
inches is not unheard of in show
plants.

The North Shore provides a
near-perfect peony growing en-
vironment. Relatively cold winters
will promote high bloom produc-
tion, while our cool, damp springs
keep the flowers healthy for
fonger periods.

The one setback is our rain,
droplets of which become trapped
in the flowers, weighing them
down to the point where they can
become damaged.

Usually a light shaking is suffi-
cient to remove the excess.

See Choose page 24

PERT RET PPB Ea

Lani an
NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

SANDRA RICHARDSON of Maple Leaf Gardens in Lynn Valley
organizes trays of impatiens.