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Companion plants for peonies


21 Plants To Grow With Peonies

Peonies are the pride and joy of many gardeners. Their massive, fluffy flowers are hard to beat! I especially love the look of them nestled into a garden bed or sharing space in an attractive container. They are so easy to layer together with other plants to create a lovely mosaic of blossoms all throughout the garden season.

When I pair plants together I think about what I am trying to achieve in the garden. Do I want a companion whose blooms will accent the other plant? Do I want one to bloom and the other quietly wait its turn? Am I playing with the structures and heights of the plants? There are many aspects to consider when pairing plants together.

Take the time to think about bloom time, the bloom colors, foliage texture and color, and the height of different plants and how they will play off one another in a garden setting. There are also many different types of peonies to consider when pairing with other plants. Keeping all those aspects in mind, here are some of the best peony companions to mix and match within your garden.

Contents

Allium

Allium blooms with magnificent large purple flowers in the shape of a ball.
Scientific Name:
Allium

Full disclosure, I am obsessed with allium. I plant them in all my client’s gardens in the fall. One of the most underrated plants in my opinion. They are so simple to grow but provide a huge spring impact. Most perennials take three years to establish, but allium looks great the season after planting.

These flowers bloom before peonies, so it’s nice to plant the bulbs in and amongst peonies. The allium will grow upward and sprout a big purple (usually, but can be white, pink, or yellow, depending on the variety) lollipop.

The benefit of planting these with peonies is that the foliage that accompanies the long flower starts to die as soon as the flower blossoms. It looks kind of scrappy and ugly. If the allium is planted amongst the peonies, however, the foliage of the peony will hide this unsightly yellow foliage.

Alyssum

Alyssum is an annual plant that is bursting with fragrant white or purple flowers.
Scientific Name:
Aurinia saxatilis

If you want a classic cottage garden, this is a perfect combination. It is a low-growing, annual plant that is bursting with fluffy sweet smelling flowers. I like a long sweeping border of it outlining a garden bed. It is a perfect outline for underneath big peony plants with their large solid blossoms.

Plus, the smell of certain peonies along with the sweet alyssum’s floral scent together is just heavenly. Try pairing cheery yellow alyssum with red-colored peonies such as ‘buckeye belle’ or ‘red charm’ for a striking combination.

Annabelle Hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea blooms with gorgeous white flowers during peony bloom.
Scientific Name:
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’

Annabelle hydrangea is a late-season smooth hydrangea. But it gets fairly big and bushy, with large light green rounded leaves. The flowers are usually only starting to form when the peony is in bloom. They make a perfect leafy backdrop to the beautiful blooming peony. Later on, the hydrangea will steal the show.

While Annabelle hydrangeas are often touted as a shade plant, I actually think they are better suited to more sun. I’ve seen them grow happily in full sun, as long as they are given extra water. An eastern exposure full of peonies and Annabelles would be a lovely combination.

Clematis

Clematis is a climbing shrub that makes a great backdrop for blooming peonies.
Scientific Name:
Clematis

Clematis makes a fantastic green backdrop of foliage growing along a trellis or fence for a peony to be in front of. There are many different varieties of clematis that bloom at various times.

The vigorous alpine clematis blooms very early in the spring. The trusty Jackmanii variety blooms later, and they may even bloom at the same time as peonies. Not that it matters if they bloom simultaneously or one after the other, the lush green backdrop looks great with peonies.

The added benefit for clematis is that they like cool shady feet. Peonies are up and out of the ground early on. They can provide shade to the bottom of clematis and protect it.

Columbine

Columbine is able to sow seeds on its own, which allows it to grow in some unexpected places.
Scientific Name:
Aquilegia

Peonies make great anchor plants in a garden. They are reliable, they grow larger over time (if they’re in the correct conditions) and will always stay put. With peonies firmly situated in the garden adding structure and stability to your garden, you can start playing with the garden nomads.

This of course depends on your garden aesthetic. If you are into clean and orderly lines, plant only plants that stay in their place. But if you like a blur of color and textures, adding flowers that wander and fill spaces is just the thing. 

This brings me to the perfect garden nomad, columbine. Columbine is a semi-aggressive garden flower. It self-seeds and wanders around a garden. If they pop up in places they shouldn’t, they are easily pulled out.

The flowers can’t be described since there are so many unique varieties. Some are ruffled and hang down, some are double-flowered like a rose, and some are single-flowered coming in a wide variety of colors. They bloom in the spring around the same time as peonies and add interest and beauty to the garden wherever they pop up.

Coneflower

Coneflower is a popular perennial that blooms with huge flowers toward the end of the season.
Scientific Name:
Echinacea

Coneflowers are an excellent option for pairing with peonies if you are looking to layer your garden with blossoms. Peonies’ bloom time is relatively short and it happens early in the season. While I do like strategically stacking some flowers together so they bloom in unison (like salvia and peony), I also like stacking perennials so there is always something in bloom.

If you only have plants that bloom when the peonies do, the big peony blossoms almost get lost in the clutter. I don’t mind having a flower or two to accent them, but too many blooms can appear chaotic.

This is where coneflowers come into play. It is only a plain little green perennial when the peonies are ready to explode. The stems have simple green pointed leaves and is medium height. It is not exciting or wonderful or anything when the peony blooms. Just a green background.

But, in late summer/early fall when peonies are just a fading memory, coneflower takes over with its huge daisy-like blossoms. They are spectacular and provide color later in the season, making them a great companion for peonies.

Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny is a ground cover plant that adds lush pops of color to gardens.
Scientific Name:
Lysimachia nummularia

Creeping Jenny, or Lysimachia, is a vigorous ground cover that acts as a natural mulch for gardens, keeping the moisture in and the weeds down. It adds a layer of green at the base of peony plants.

My favorite is golden Lysimachia which is a bright yellow color and really adds a pop of contrast to the even green peony foliage. It really adds a lushness to gardens.

Daylily

Daylilies bloom later than peonies, often with orange or yellow flowers.
Scientific Name:
Hemerocallis

Daylilies make a great garden companion to many plants. Their grassy mounds of foliage add a soft texture to garden borders. They usually bloom slightly after peonies (although this is variety-dependent). So after the peony blossoms start to fade, the long stalks of daylily blossoms are ready to take over.

There are many unique varieties of daylilies available now. So if their orange color doesn’t suit your garden filled with soft pink peonies and light blue delphinium, try a soft pink variety of daylily. The ‘romantic rose’ daylily has large ruffly pink blossoms that fit in perfectly with a whimsical garden.

Hosta

Hostas and peonies can make excellent companions if both plants are placed in partial shade.
Scientific Name:
Hosta

This combination may be a bit more unexpected since hostas are normally thought of as shade plants, whereas peony is the queen of the sun. But they actually can meet somewhere in the middle.

Hostas, especially the lighter green foliaged ones, can actually take a fair amount of sun. ‘Sum and Substance’, or ‘Dancing Queen’ are examples of lighter foliage hostas fit for the sun.

Peonies actually do not enjoy being in the blazing heat of the day. A part-sun location will keep their blooms intact for longer. So, finding a part sun location, maybe an eastern exposure is a happy medium for both perennials.

I love the variation in height that a peony rising out of a hosta garden provides. Also if staggering blooms are what you are after, a peony will bloom in the late spring/early summer and then a hosta will shoot up stalks of lavender flowers in the mid-late summer.

Iris

Irises bloom a little earlier than peonies.
Scientific Name:
Iris

If a profusion of blooms is what you are after, layer peonies with irises to have a spectacular display of blooms. The iris usually blooms slightly before, and during the peonies’ bloom (this depends on variety and sun exposure).

If you get it just right, the irises will be slowly fading as the peonies are just opening, with considerable overlap. The intricate shape of an iris blossom contrasts perfectly against a flowy peony flower.

When their bloom times are over, the hard spiky iris foliage stands out against the rounded lacy foliage of the peony. Add some later summer flowers in to continue the interest (delphinium, shasta daisy, etc.).

Larkspur

Larkspur, or delphinium, is the perfect companion for peonies as they bloom at the same time and provide height variation.
Scientific Name:
Delphinium

Larkspurs are considered a type of Delphinium. Delphinium and peonies are made for each other! This is a classic pairing in an English garden. Plant peonies in front of the delphinium. They don’t always bloom at exactly the same but delphinium provides a perfect backdrop of lacy foliage behind the peony for its floral show.

After the peony finishes its bloom, the delphinium takes over and steals the show with its long stalks of flowers. Depending on your varieties of peony and delphinium, and their sun exposure, there might be a little or a lot of overlap of blooms. They truly are a match made in heaven.

Lupine

Lupines flower before peonies, making them a great flower pairing.
Scientific Name:
Lupinus

Be careful when growing lupine, they can be aggressive and unwanted in some areas. Make sure to deadhead the seed pods. However, there is nothing quite like the deeply lobed foliage of lupine and its upright plumes of flowers in all sorts of colors.

When it comes to planting lupine with peonies, they make a perfect pair. The lupine’s tall perennial blooms are spectacular and will happen just before the peonies start to open. They both have breathtaking flowers that steal the show. Having one bloom right after the other keeps your garden visually interesting.

The foliage of both plants has interest too. Lupines have deeply lobed leaves and peonies have lacey lobed leaves. They look great in the garden together.

Masterwort

Masterwort produces small delicate flowers that bloom almost at the same time as peonies.
Scientific Name:
Astrantia

Masterwort is a lovely perennial. It can get to be around the same size, or slightly bigger, than a peony. It has these small fireworks of flowers that are so intricate and delicate. I am constantly snapping pictures of them in my garden!

These flowers bloom around the same time as peonies, but their blossoms stick around much longer than fleeting peonies’ petals. They both come in soft delicate colors of pinks and whites. However, the masterwort flowers are small and spikey, which is a great contrast to the full fluffy peony blossoms. They also both have interesting, deeply lobed foliage, which looks similar and blends together nicely.

Monkshood

Monkshood blooms after the peonies have bloomed.
Scientific Name:
Aconitum

Monkshood is a great alternative to delphinium. I almost like it more. It stands tall and sturdy and doesn’t require any staking. The same lacy tall foliage as delphinium surrounds it, which makes a great green backdrop for peonies.

The blooms appear later in the summer after the peonies have bloomed. It has tall stalks of flowers that come in purple, white, or pink. The flowers themselves look like little hooded monks (as their name suggests!).

Monkshood is a great option for gardens that are plagued with critters such as deer or rabbits. They are very poisonous and deter everything from munching on them.

Painted Daisy

Painted daisies produce beautiful pink and red flowers blooming at the same time as peonies.
Scientific Name:
Tanacetum coccineum

Painted daisy is lovely with big colorful flowers that rise out of airy ferny foliage. They typically come in shades of pink and red. Peonies and painted daisies bloom around the same time and are around the same size, only perhaps slightly smaller.

The simple flower structure of the daisies makes a nice compliment to the more intricate folds and ruffles of a peony. I also like the ferny texture foliage of the painted daisy. It is light and airy next to the solid leaf structure of a peony.

Pansy

Pansies, like peonies, prefer to grow in a cool spring garden.
Scientific Name:
Viola tricolor var. hortensis

Pansies are reliable bloomers and their large flat flowers are a perfect contrast to the big fluffy peony flowers. Both pansies and peonies like cool climates and a nice cool spring garden. They will both fizzle out in conditions that are too hot.

I personally don’t like going too crazy with my color combinations when it comes to planting with peonies. The simplicity and elegance of the large solid peony blossoms lose some of their beauty when there is too much other color ‘noise’ around.

Opting for a solid-colored pansy such as Matrix White or Matrix True Blue is preferable to enhance the beauty of the peony without distraction. Violas are another lovely option. The small flowers create a blanket of groundcover for the peonies to rise out of. White violas and pink peonies for the win!

Rose

Roses and peonies can thrive in your garden, giving it a variety of colors with proper care.
Scientific Name:
Rosa

Roses may be fussy and require a bit more maintenance. But when you get it right, the blooms of peonies and roses coexist in perfect harmony. I’ve seen delicate frilly light pink roses next to peonies of the same color and can hardly tell the difference.

Except that the roses will keep on blooming and the peonies are larger and more spectacular when they bloom.

Layer them in between each other to create a seamless blossoming effect. Play with shades of pink, red, and white in the roses and/or peonies to really amp up the contrast.

Salvia

Salvia has gorgeous dark purple flowers that look wonderful next to peonies.
Scientific Name:
Salvia

I love salvia and peonies together. The long deep purple spikes of flowers look especially excellent next to light pink varieties of peonies, such as the very popular Sarah Bernhardt variety.

Salvia and peonies bloom at the same time and are similar similar heights making them a striking floral combination. They even look great together in bouquets. This is a winning combination. Did I mention bees just love salvia? I can hear salvia in the summer, buzzing with the little pollinators.

Sea Holly

Sea Holly produces spiky flowers that take on a bluish-purple hue just as the peony stops blooming.
Scientific Name:
Eryngos

This perennial is a bit unexpected, but it totally works. I just discovered this flower as a companion for peonies in a perennial bed. The full structure of the plant was up when the peonies were blooming.

They are similar heights, when the sea holly is just starting to produce its spiky bloom. It is colorless and only provides structure while the peonies steal the show with their huge blossoms.

Then, once the peony stops blooming, the sea holly blossoms their lovely bluish purple hue. It’s unexpected and quite lovely. Another great thing about sea holly is that the blooms last a long time in a garden, unlike a peony’s short show.

Snow in Summer

‘Snow in summer’ is a beautiful groundcover plant known for its silvery foliage and snow-white flowers.
Scientific Name:
Cerastium tomentosum

Snow in Summer is a lovely perennial ground cover with velvety silver foliage. It looks great at the foot of a peony. It blooms a carpet of snow white flowers around the same time as the peony. This combination looks so romantic and whimsical.

It is especially nice when planted with darker flowered peonies, such as ‘Kansas’, ‘Karl Rosenfield’, or ‘Chocolate Soldier’. The contrast of the foliage looks great at all times even when the plants aren’t in bloom.

Sweet Woodruff

This great groundcover acts as a natural mulch to keep the soil moist.
Scientific Name:
Galium odoratum

Sweet woodruff is a lovely ground cover. It has small glossy delicate foliage that looks great planted at the base of peonies as a ground cover. It also acts as a natural mulch to keep the ground moist and the weeds down.

This plant bursts tiny white star flowers around the same time as the peonies flower, sometimes earlier depending on location and variety. The dense small flowers are a perfect accent to the big bold peony. This is one of my favorites, and I think underrated ground covers.

Final Thoughts

A peony on its own is lovely, but only blooms for a couple of weeks. Just like people, individuals are great, but as a collective, they can do amazing things. A garden is a collection of individual plants that create harmony. Try adding some companions with your peonies to really make your garden shine this season!

16 Peony Companion Plants That Will Look Great in Your Garden

Peonies are a beautiful, old-fashioned flower to add to your landscaping. They are stunning in a mass planting of solely peonies, as well as part of a well-planned flower garden. Planning your flower garden around peonies is easy once you know what other plants make the best companions. We have collected 16 of the best companion plants for peonies to help get your gorgeous cottage garden well underway!

1. Bearded Irises

The Bearded Iris is a frilly flower that comes in a variety of colors — pink, red, purple, yellow, blue, and orange. This flower's name comes from the way its drooping petals resemble a beard.

The Bearded Iris is one of the easiest perennials to grow, as it requires very little maintenance.

Click here to buy seeds on Amazon.

2. Siberian Irises

The Siberian Iris is also known for its vibrant and diverse color range that adds a colorful burst to any garden. This particular variety is often streaked with complementary colors that give them a particularly mystic, awe-inspiring aesthetic.

The Siberian Iris has long-lasting blooms, and it requires very little maintenance aside from regular watering. Another great match for peonies.

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3. Columbines

The Columbine is a dainty perennial that has 2 distinct petal layers in full bloom. Clusters of small, yellow buds radiate from the flower's center in full bloom. The Columbine's contrasting color scheme is a great complement to virtually any garden.

Hummingbirds love this flower, so you plant them in your garden, you'll be sure to attract these small pollinating friends.

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4. Alliums

Alliums are a tall, slender perennial plant topped with a bushy, globe-shaped array of flowers. These flowers are typically shades of blue and purple. Given their particularly unique aesthetic quality, these flowers can be creative additions to any part of a garden.

Due to their tall, skinny stems, squirrels and deer have a hard time damaging them.

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5. Roses

The rose is arguably the most popular flower in the world. This is likely due to the fact that roses come in nearly every color imaginable. Given their color and size range, roses go exceptionally well in just about any garden.

Roses are able to grow well virtually anywhere, but they do best in warmer regions and make great companions for peonies.

Roses have developed a reputation for being difficult to grow, but this is really only the case when trying to grow roses that are aesthetically flawless. There are typically few, if any issues when growing roses as simple garden complements.

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6. Bleeding Heart

The Bleeding Heart has heart-shaped flower petals that bloom toward the bottom, which makes the heart shape split at full bloom. What's more, this flower is usually pink, which accentuates its namesake.

These flowers are generally sun and heat tolerant, with some hybrid varieties being even hardier.

The Bleeding Heart is deer resistant, so you don't have to worry about them being damaged.

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7. Foxgloves

Foxgloves are colorful cone-shaped flowers that droop down when fully bloomed. They're typically purple or light pink, and the insides are speckled with dark spots.

These flowers are known for attracting bumblebees.

Foxgloves grow best when they're given ample space around them, so don't overcrowd them or plant them in close proximity to other plants.

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8. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas have small but colorful clusters of blooms. They're usually pink, purple, or a combination of these colors.

Hydrangeas don't require much in terms of maintenance. Regular watering and adding mulch occasionally is all that's necessary to keep these flowers looking full and beautiful.

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9. Plantain

The plantain is a flower with a unique, cone-like shape. They're usually dark purple, with a ring of small, orange buds separating the inner and outer layers of petals. This plant will only flower once.

This plant actually bears fruit, so it's particularly useful for cooking!

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10. Lavender

Lavender is a small, slender, dainty flower that's purple in color. Up close, it has a fuzzy texture, and its blooms are extremely small.

This flower is particularly well known for its unique aroma and for its oil.

Lavender requires a lot of water at a time, but it can go for some time without being watered.

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11. Daffodils

Daffodils are a wide, yellow flower with 2 layers of petals — one wide layer at the back with a cone-shaped bud. At full bloom, these flowers perk up and look straight ahead, giving them a unique aesthetic appeal. These well known yellow flowers make an excellent addition to a garden in need of some colorful pop.

Daffodils require relatively little maintenance as long as they aren't in extreme heat and humidity and are watered regularly.

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12. Camellias

Camellias resemble large roses in shape and color. Camellias grow on shrubs that can grow between 6 to 12 feet in diameter, and they do well in the shade. Their perfectly round semicircle petals make the flower look almost fake. Their soft, elegant appearance makes them a noteworthy addition to any garden.

Camellias are known for their long lives; some live as long as 100 years!

These plants are relatively hardy. They just require regular watering, with slightly more in hotter conditions.

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13. Pincushion Flower

The Pincushion Flower gets its name from the small pin like buds that radiate from the center of the flower, which resembles pins in a pincushion. These flowers are typically cool colors — shades of blue and purple.

These flowers provide constant blooms, and they attract tons of butterflies. They withstand periods of drought, and they require very little maintenance. In fact, rather than painstakingly deadhead its petals, it's recommended to just shear the plant when its blooms diminish.

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14. Geraniums

Geraniums are one of the most diverse flower groups. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, which means there's a place for geraniums in any garden. Given their aesthetic diversity, geraniums truly are the best go-to plant to complement different parts of a garden.

Geraniums are known for requiring very little maintenance. What's more, these resilient plants can withstand periods of drought with ease.

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15. Day Lily

The Day Lily is a unique looking flower that can add some warmth to a garden. They're yellowish orange with complementary streaks running down the petals. Dainty red-tipped buds can be seen sticking out of these flowers at full bloom. Some Day Lilies have long, slender petals, and others have shorter, broader petals.

The Day Lily can tolerate various types of soil, they resist pests and disease, and they provide constant beautiful blooms with very little maintenance required.

Given the diversity of height in Day Lilies, these plants are extremely versatile in terms of their placement within the garden.

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16. Azalea

Azaleas are similar to daylilies in terms of their shape, but they're particularly well known for their cooler, purple and pink shades. Depending on the color scheme, these flowers can have soft white petals that are elegantly streaked with pink accents. Dainty pink buds protrude from this flower's center.

When Azaleas are clustered together, they form beautiful colorful shrub-like masses.

Azaleas are known for living for a long time with little to no maintenance outside of regular watering.

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What to plant with peonies: desirable and undesirable "neighbors"

Peonies are the real kings of the June garden. They delight with their large lush flowers and pleasant aroma.

Peonies are self-sufficient and look spectacular as a tapeworm in landscape design. But many gardeners prefer group plantings and ask what can be planted next to peonies so that the flower garden will please the eyes with continuous flowering.

Peonies: what to plant next to

The best neighbors of peonies in a flower bed will be plants with similar requirements for growing conditions. These flowers love an abundance of light and heat, they cannot stand marshy soils. Therefore, next to them, you should grow various light and heat-loving ornamental crops that do not need frequent watering and can withstand a slight drought. It should also be taken into account that peonies, due to the large size of the bushes and beautiful large flowers, require an extensive "personal space".

Neighbors are preferably planted around a group of pions. If you plant small plants between the bushes, then care will be difficult.

Ideal companions

What shrubs and flowers match peonies in flower beds? They form spectacular combinations with evergreens, the crown of which is regularly pruned:

Colorful landscapes create peonies with flowering shrubs nine0003

Many flower growers plant peonies, chrysanthemums and phloxes in the same flower bed. Peonies are well combined with other flowers - lilies, daylilies, panicled hydrangeas, bearded and Siberian irises . An excellent choice would be astilba , blooming until frost. Snow-white flowers with a golden center look gorgeous against the background of dense greenery of peonies nivyanikov .

Chives planted next to peonies will help you enjoy the bright continuous flowering. This plant does not put forward special requirements for care, has an original appearance and blooms for a long time.

Unique landscape compositions can be created by surrounding peony bushes with medicinal herbs. The best choice would be sage, motherwort, pharmacy chamomile, cuff, woolly chistets, thick-leaved bergenia . These plants combine utility with decorative effect. They have medicinal properties and are able to bloom for a long time.

If you cannot decide what to plant next to peonies, then you should pay attention to decorative creepers. Clematis , fixed on decorative supports, will create a beautiful emerald background for peonies and decorate the landscape.

Shade-tolerant plants can also be planted in the shade of peony bushes. Ferns and hostas hide from the scorching sun under the leaves of peonies and give expressiveness to blooming lush hats.

The graceful pelargonium will also become a worthy companion for peonies. Due to the variety of color variations, it will allow you to create a bright multi-colored flower bed.

What else can be planted next to peonies? An elegant look will be given to the flower bed by poppies, bells, foxglove, carnations, phloxes . These plants love light, are not afraid of drought, are unpretentious, bloom attractively, give abundant self-sowing. nine0003

Preference should be given to crops with whole leaves (hostas, irises, daylilies) , since they are carved in peonies. A beautiful contrast with the lush round "caps" of peonies will be created by elongated inflorescences of delphinium, foxglove, miscanthus, veronica.

Veronica

The flower bed can be made in any shape and decorated in different color shades. It can be plain, contrasting or tinted, round, long or tiered. When arranging a round flower bed, peonies are placed in the center, and low flowers are placed in front of them (asters, daisies, primroses, violets, hostas, bergenia) .

asters

Creating a discount (as a long flower bed is called), the plants are placed in rows - peonies are planted in the background, and lower flowers are planted in the front. Usually they place a discount along the wall of the building or in front of the fence. A tiered flower bed is an ideal choice for a relief area.

You can also combine peonies of various varieties and colors on the same flower garden. But you need to take into account the height of the bushes, otherwise tall tree varieties will crowd out the undersized ones. nine0003

It is advisable to plant plants at a distance of 2-3 meters.

Successful colors

When deciding what to plant with peonies in a flower bed, you need to consider the combination of colors in order to create the optimal color design that will look very beautiful in the photo.

Any peonies look favorably against the background of coniferous crops.

  • Pink flowers perfectly harmonize with arborvitae, juniper, barberry, hellebore. nine0020
  • Burgundy and bright red - with decorative bow and hosta.
  • White and coral pair well with dark red carnations, geucher, daylilies,
  • Yellow - with bells, blue, blue and purple irises, with red flowers.
  • White peonies will create a beautiful contrast with irises, poppies, daylilies, bluebells.

How to prepare a continuous flowering bed

When creating flower beds with peonies and other flowers, it is advisable to choose plants that bloom at different times.

Already at the beginning of spring, small-bulbous plants are able to "paint" with bright colors the empty dull space of a flower bed. They belong to:

  • crocuses,
  • galanthus (snowdrops),
  • muscari,
  • daffodils,
  • iridodictiums,
  • chionodoxes. nine0020

When they fade, the decorative foliage of the peony will cover the drying leaves of the bulbous ones.

Simultaneously with peonies bloom:

  • geraniums,
  • irises,
  • bells,
  • delphinium,
  • poppy,
  • aquilegia,
  • dicenter,
  • nivyanik,
  • cuff.

Peonies are replaced in summer by astilbe, lilies, pelargoniums, zinnias, petunias , and in autumn - dahlias, chrysanthemums, asters, phloxes.

Unwanted neighbors

Do not place powerful trees with a spreading dense crown near peonies. In shading, peony bushes lose their decorative effect and cease to bloom. Trees take moisture and nutrients from peonies.

In small areas, in case of lack of space, peonies can be planted under small trees with a sparse compact crown (rowan, apple, pear), through which sunlight passes. In light shade, the bushes will receive enough light and will be protected from fading. The distance from the bush to the tree should be at least 3-4 meters. nine0003

Fruit and ornamental trees

Bad companions for peonies - bird cherry and apricot . The roots of these trees release special substances into the soil that inhibit the growth of peonies and adversely affect their flowering.

Fruit bushes

It is not necessary to plant plants in a flower bed near peony bushes that intensively form shoots:

  • hawthorn,
  • raspberries,
  • cherry,
  • plum.

You will have to constantly fight against the growth, which will damage the root system of pions.

Gooseberries and currants , although they do not belong to the aggressors and do not let out shoots, will be unsuitable neighbors. They gradually grow, forming a sprawling dense crown, and cover the peonies.

Peonies will not be able to get along with blueberries and blueberries . Berry crops require soils with high acidity, and peonies need slightly alkaline or neutral soil. nine0003

Flowering shrubs

Lilacs are among the unwanted neighbors. This aggressive fast-growing shrub is able to cover the entire flower bed with a dense and dense crown.

Peonies and roses are effectively combined with each other. Particularly beautiful flower beds are obtained in compositions with scrubs, floribundas, ground cover and climbing roses. Climbing roses create a luxurious backdrop for peony bushes when placed on arches and pergolas.

But still, experienced flower growers in their comments do not recommend combining these regal flowers in flower beds, as they have powerful root systems. Growing, plants begin to fight for free space and crowd out each other, which will negatively affect their condition. nine0003

Herbaceous plants

Bad neighbors for peonies are lilies of the valley. These flowers bloom in spring and adorn the flower bed with their delicate bells. But they grow aggressively, displacing all vegetation.

Plants belonging to the buttercup family are not suitable as neighbors for peonies. They grow rapidly and greatly deplete the soil, which negatively affects the quality of flowering and the development of peonies. Also, cornflowers, wormwood, falyaris (canary grass) belong to aggressive plants. They will make it difficult to weed the flower beds and seek to "conquer" the territory. nine0003

Landscape peonies

It is generally accepted that peonies fit best in English mixborders. But modern landscape designers successfully use these plants in other flower beds, including flowerbeds that resemble a flowering meadow. In such compositions, not terry varieties are used, but species with a simple flower. Together with them, you can grow umbrella and cereal plants in the same flower bed.


What to plant next to peonies - the best companions

12/20/2020

What to plant next to peonies - everyone will decide for himself, based on the general pattern of the flower garden. Many plants look great next to peonies, and peony flower beds are magnificent in themselves. But we offer one of the chic combinations of peonies.

Choose the best companion plants for a garden of noble, spiritual and graceful beauty. We will tell you what to plant next to peonies so that the flower garden looks more advantageous.

Roses

It just so happened: if a rose is considered the queen of the garden, then the peony is undoubtedly the king!

These plants live on the same type of soil: slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5) loam, which, depending on the ratio of sand and organic matter, must be kept humus and loose, with good drainage.

But it is simply impossible to imagine luxurious peony flowers and thorns of no less delightful roses nearby.

Therefore, it is advisable to plant peonies next to thornless roses only. Very often, in a duet with a peony, there is a climbing rose: it is placed on an arch, cone, trellis, and peony bushes are planted at the foot. nine0003

Clematis

Another beauty in your garden sits next to a peony. Here, as with roses, using various supports, clematis is planted in the background, and in front of it is a peony. By the way, such a neighborhood will also be useful for clematis: the peony with its foliage will create shade and favorable humidity in the “legs” of clematis.

Irises

Siberian, Germanic, bearded and other irises look best next to peonies, that is, from 70 to 150 cm in height. If irises grow in a large bush, then it is more convenient to plant them between peonies, and other irises will perfectly decorate the edge of the flower garden, at least in the foreground, even in the background, depending on their height. nine0003

Use all three plants in a continuous flowering mixborder, planting clematis between a peony and a rose, and irises in the foreground: the effect is simply fabulous!

It should only be remembered that one cannot expect a quick result from such plantings: all these plants, except for roses and, perhaps, some types of irises, bloom in the 3rd or even 4th year.

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