Choosing peonies that bloom for decades

Peonies are one of the few plants in the garden that ask very little of you and give back for a lifetime. A well-sited root, planted at the right depth, can outlive the gardener who placed it. That long horizon is part of what makes choosing the right variety feel weighty — and why we keep our peony list small and considered.

We start with hardiness. Most herbaceous peonies need a stretch of cold dormancy each winter to bloom well, which makes them happiest in zones 3 through 8. If you garden in a warmer region, look to early-blooming varieties and intersectional hybrids that tolerate a milder chill. In cooler climates, almost anything in the catalog will reward you.

Next is form. A peony's silhouette — single, semi-double, bomb, or full double — shapes how it reads in the garden. Singles and semi-doubles open quickly, hold up well in rain, and feel modern in a mixed border. Full doubles are the romantic, fragrant heirlooms most of us picture; they are slower to open and may need quiet support to stand up after a heavy storm.

Plant shallow. The eyes — those small pink buds on the crown — should sit no more than one to two inches below the soil surface. Planted too deep, a peony will grow leaves for years and never bloom. Give them six hours of sun, good drainage, and patience: the first season is leaves, the second is a flower or two, and by year three you have a plant that begins to feel inevitable.

After that, the work is mostly observation. Cut a few stems for the table, leave the rest to feed the root, and trust that a peony you choose well today will still be blooming in a garden you can't quite picture yet.