Wigan Album

It's a lovely photo Barrie..isn't it strange how flowers can bring back memories of loved ones.I have a couple of my Dads plants and I hope he can see them now.Re Peonys I have a pink one in my front garden full of buds..when in bloom they always remind me of the old fashion roses..thank you for the photo.

I'm looking forward to my neighbour's pink Peony which encroaches my garden - like you Maureen I think they look like good old fashioned roses. I dont mind one bit that it overlaps my small rockery... Blooming lovely! They can last for years and years...

You must have lifted them with a fair amount of soil still attached to their roots, Barrie … It's said that they react very badly to root disturbance. Nice photo.

What's your technique in splitting your Peony Barrie.

Phil, From memory I dug all round the base and lifted it complete with the Standish soil, put it into a bucket and into the car home then before replanting into the front garden, dug a large wide hole, compost and our soil plus the plant had a good soak before it went into its new home. At the same time another shrub I lifted from the old garden (another favourite of the parents) was a Fuscia. This also went into our garden and still survives to this day. Grows to about 3 ft or so and spreads out over the front path so I have to hard prune it back each year. Splitting peonies -nay problem, clear round the tubers,because they are only a just below the surface, lift them and remove a clump of the tubers from the main plant, then replant the separated ones into a fresh soil area just below the surface and water.This has to be done at the end of the season or prior to regrowth appearing.
Thanks to all for the appreciative comments. Father loved his garden -large lawn, fair size vegetable patch plus the flower areas.Memories of being "the pony" pulling the lawn mower around the lawn as Father did the mowing in the 50's-that is exercise!!

Great reply, with a dandy pony-pulling quip. Barrie.