Plant of The Week

There are countless reasons to love peonies. They are an old fashioned favorite whose blooms can grow 10 inches across and have incredible staying power. They can even live to be 100 years old! Did you know that peonies are regarded as a symbol of good fortune across the world which is way they’re so often used in wedding bouquets. There is so much to love about peonies and we will never get over their large, stunning, ruffled blooms.  

We have some tips for you so that you can grow your most beautiful peony plants yet!  

• Know your zone. This tip can be applied to any plants but you should know that peonies thrive in zones 3-7 
• Plant them at the right time: If you start in the fall you will have a leg above the competition. They will grow better in the first year if they have the benefit of being in the soil during the winter.  
• Keep them comfortable. For the first winter we suggest that you heavily mulch when the ground begins to freeze so that the soil is not penetrated by frost.  
• Try to plant them in full sun. They can tolerate shade but may become leggy and require staking.  
• When you plant them start with a hole that is about 30% larger than the actual plant. Fill the hold until the growth buds are about 1 inch above soil level. Cover the plant with loose soil about 2 inches above that and water thoroughly.  
• Give your peonies some space! Allow for at least four feet between each plant. A mature plant can be compared to a shrub, so they need plenty of room to grow. Planting them too close together can lead to leggy plants and even disease.  
• Have some patience. It can take two to three years for before you start to see good blooming but after that, with proper care, your peonies could flower for decades!  
• Shop smart! We have the best cultivars all hand chosen for their excellence by our horticultural experts. Head to our website to shop our incredible selection and to start growing your own perfect peonies today.  

This week's plant of the week is a beautiful hardy fern. Dryopteris
'Brilliance', as the name suggests, is one of the showiest ferns on the
market. The color-changing properties of the foliage are what gives
'Brilliance' its unique appeal; the shiny leaves transition from a
bright copper color in early spring, through a soft green in the
summer, and finally into a vibrant autumn orange. This fern is the
perfect little spark of color to pop against the darker foliage of most
shade gardens.

This plant is not only exceptional aesthetically. Adaptable and hardy,
this particular cultivar of Dryopteris erythrosora makes gardening
easy, pushing the limits of most average ferns. It tolerates dryer
soils, resists pests, resists diseases, and is not prone to predation
by deer.

For fern lovers, this is a must-have item, and for those new to growing
ferns, this may be one of the prettiest and easiest ways to fall in
love with them.

This week's Plant of the Week is a real crowd pleaser and a plant that
I have personal experience with — it's been growing beautifully next
to my patio for almost three years. The foliage is what seals the deal
on Weigela My Monet™. The dense bright tuft of pretty pink,
green, and white leaves jiggles and dances in a light breeze. My Monet™
is a very pretty and graceful shrub that makes a perfect stand-alone
specimen or complement to plants with darker foliage. The cute purple-pink
blossoms make for a fun showy spring, and they attract hummingbirds
and butterflies. 
 
My Monet^TM is very reliable and perfect for formal landscaping
plans. It is a tough shrub — its strong, short branches stand up well
to rough and windy weather that might damage a lesser shrubbery. Short
and dense, this Weigela is never more than 18 inches tall and is perfect
for container and patio gardens.