Peonies and hydrangeas are among the garden’s most beloved flowering plants. They pair well, yet their planting and care rules differ. An agronomist and Zen channel writer known as Great bed, Alexey Volodikhin, explains the rules for caring for each plant.
How to grow peonies
Traditionally, peonies are planted or transplanted from August 15 to September 15. Container-grown seedlings can be planted throughout the summer. Peonies prefer a sunny, quiet location; shade and wind cause the bushes to dry out and fail to bloom. Any soil works, except marshy ground, though fertile soil is best.
Volodikhin notes that peonies should be watered about once a week, with 3–4 buckets per bush. The watering is especially important in early June when flower buds are forming. A second period of heavy watering occurs from late July to late August, when new buds develop and set the stage for strong growth in the next year.
Top dressing should occur four times per season. At the first sign of shoots, apply 1 tablespoon of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water, delivering about 1 bucket per bush. When buds appear, apply 2 teaspoons of ammonium nitrate, 2 teaspoons of superphosphate, and 1 teaspoon of potassium salt per bush. At the peak of flowering, use the same fertilizers in the same doses. Immediately after flowering, apply 1 teaspoon of superphosphate and 1 teaspoon of potassium salt per bush.
Peonies can stay in one spot for decades, but older plants tend to bloom poorly or not at all. Therefore, they should be rejuvenated every 7–10 years by digging up, cutting into sections, and replanting in a new location. Do this in the second half of August.
When young peonies do not bloom, the problem is often an unsuitable planting site. In that case, transplant them to a better location in August.
Among the peony varieties, the most fragrant include Ann Cousins with white blossoms, Monsieur Jules Elie and Clemenceau in pink, Doris Cooper in creamy pink, and Miss FD Roosevelt with a soft salmon shade.
How to grow hydrangeas
Hydrangeas come in more than 50 types, with the most frost-resistant being tree and panicle forms. In the middle belt of the country they can winter without shelter.
Volodikhin suggests planting hydrangeas in May or September. Summer planting is discouraged, even for container plants, because these favorites love ample moisture and may fail to root in heat.
Hydrangeas should have a sunny location and fertile, slightly acidic soil. They require abundant and regular watering. In summer, each bush often needs 3–5 buckets of water; in hot spells, watering may be needed twice a week, while in rainy periods once a week suffices. If twice-weekly watering is not possible, mulch the soil with peat to a depth of 5–10 cm to slow evaporation.
Unlike peonies, hydrangeas need three top dressings in a season, one in spring and two at the end of summer. In spring, apply per square meter 2 tablespoons of urea, 2 tablespoons of double superphosphate, and 1.5 tablespoons of potassium sulfate. During budding, apply 3–4 tablespoons of double superphosphate and 2 tablespoons of potassium sulfate per square meter. At the end of summer, deliver 1.5–2 buckets of humus or compost per bush.
Tree and panicle hydrangeas do not require winter shelter, but the trunks should be mulched with humus or compost to a depth of 7–10 cm. The large-leaved hydrangea, often sold in garden centers, typically does not winter in the middle belt. It is best grown in containers, planted outdoors in summer and moved indoors to a basement or cellar for winter.
For bouquets destined for home or a gazebo, cut hydrangea stems at the very base, removing as much stump as possible.
Arranging a zone for peonies and hydrangeas
Many households combine peonies and hydrangeas in a single garden area. Among peony enthusiasts, Yana Rudkovskaya is noted for planting dozens of specimens at her country residence, where every June the grounds glow with blossoms. She regularly shares photos and discusses the different peony varieties she grows.
Hydrangea fans include Sofia Rotaru, who favors a garden of lush hydrangea around her country home near the capital. She has collected several species in one place to create a rich display. In addition to planting, these stars also style the garden with decor and furnishings. Elena Karasaeva, a designer and Fix Price expert, reveals how to create an elegant garden with magnificent flower beds.
As Karasaeva explains, hydrangeas can grow into a shrub up to 1.5 meters tall, so they should be placed where they won’t overwhelm the display. Taller blooming plants should be placed in the background, with shorter plants like peonies in the foreground to stagger bloom times and maintain visual interest. Hydrangeas bloom all year, which is a major advantage for a garden scheme. Thoughtful planning of furniture and décor matters as well; current trends favor rattan furniture and hanging pots, with lamps and bohemian textiles adding character to the space.