2021 Catalogue 1 Welcome to PRIMROSE HALL PEONIES 2021 Catalogue We are an RHS gold award-winning, independent, family-run nursery, based in rural Bedfordshire. We are peony specialists and love growing a diverse range of beautiful peonies. Our passion for peonies has driven us to develop an extensive collection of peonies, with over 300 varieties in commercial production of all colours, shapes and fragrances - from the popular to the rare. We are sure that you will find an exquisite peony that is perfect for your garden. We launched a new peony at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 - ‘All That Jazz’ which is a wonderful ITOH peony and we are continuing to add rare and newly released peonies to our collection as well as developing our own breeding programme. We hold the Plant Heritage National Collection of Itoh hybrid peonies. We hope you will be impressed by our latest range and our displays that show off these stunning flowers. Be sure to come and visit our stands at various RHS shows around the UK. Look out for details of where to find us on our website which you will find at www.primrosehallpeonies.co.uk As always please do get in touch with your questions and pictures, we love to hear from you! Why not sign up to our newsletter to receive exclusive information, advice, news and offers. You can also follow us on social media for videos, growing advice and our competitions! CONTENTS TYPES OF PEONY 5 HERBACEOUS PEONIES 8 Owner & Nurseryman PATIO PEONIES 44 INTERSECTIONAL PEONIES 48 TREE PEONIES 62 PEONY FERTILIZERS 67 HERBACEOUS FLOWERING 68 FRAGRANT HERBACEOUS 69 PEONY CARE TIPS 69 HOW TO ORDER 70 Herbert White & Sons Limited trading as PRIMROSE HALL LOVE PEONIES 71 registered in England and Wales Number 08438470 at Dingley Dell, Toddington Road, Westoning, Bedfordshire MK45 5AH. 2 3 WHAT MAKES OUR PEONIES SO SPECIAL? TYPES OF PEONY Peonies are gorgeous, long-lived herbaceous perennial plants. They will bloom with often large, INTERSECTIONAL HERBACEOUS WOODY and sometimes beautifully scented, flowers and are sure to be a striking feature of any garden! (or TREE PEONY) Peonies have a luxurious elegance, yet are wonderfully low maintenance plants. Its easy if you follow the simple tips in our care guide. Some varieties have been known to live up to a century old! Our peonies are lovingly grown, lifted as bare roots, potted and nurtured in our plant nursery until they are at least 5 years old, ensuring they are well established, mature, flowering plants. A Primrose Hall Peony should flower from its very first season in your garden. In 2019 our peonies were awarded a Gold medal Itoh peonies are unusual, rare and The timeless classic! Herbaceous Tree Peonies are long-lived by the RHS at Chelsea Flower Show. This was interesting plants. They are a cross peony flowers can be single, semi- deciduous shrubs. They often the first Gold to be awarded for peonies at the between an herbaceous and a tree double or fully double and many are have large, flamboyant flowers show for 8 years! We were so proud of our team. peony. Some of them are highly beautifully fragrant. which are often fragrant, and sought after. come in a variety of colours. With over 300 varieties in production you have access to many rare and unusual varieties of They range in colour from deep pur- They make a real statement peony, some which have never been sold in the UK before. If you are in search of any particular They have beautiful, often very ple to pure white. Their blooms are in the garden. variety our team will also be happy to try to source these for you. large (even dinner plate sized) one of the showiest in the garden! sometimes fragrant blooms in a We now grow all our plants in 100% peat-free compost. We are committed to doing all we can diverse range of colours. The can be early, mid season or PATIO PEONIES for the environment and making sure our nursery is sustainably run. Please see our website for more late flowering which means you can information about our environmental policy. Their flowers can be single or enjoy herbaceous peonies from double. April through to June. We LOVE peonies! Our team are committed to growing the best peony plants possible. Peonies can also last for decades. Intersectional peonies do often They die down in the winter and Each one receives individual care and attention to make sure it is of the BEST quality. flower for a longer period than re-emerge the following spring to herbaceous peonies and have produce an even better display We offer a 5-year guarantee on ALL of our peonies. We so are confident you will be happy masses of flowers. than the previous year! with your plant that if you register your peony at the time of purchase we promise to replace any plant that fails within the 5 years. For more information about this and terms and conditions, They are fairly compact, growing please check out our website primrosehallpeonies.co.uk to about 75cm tall and they need little or no support - because of their tree peony framework. Itoh’s die down in winter like Patio peonies are the best COLOUR - There is an extraordinary array of colours to choose from, from pure white, herbaceous peonies - and return choice for gardeners who to delicate pinks, bright yellow or ruby red, or rich purple to light coral. Some peonies in the spring. They usually have would prefer their peonies also have beautiful colourful foliage in the autumn. striking foliage in autumn. to grow in containers. They are specially selected LOCATION - All of our peonies look fantastic in a sunny border, but we also have a range After beautiful blooms, some because of their compact of smaller peonies, perfect for pots or patios. We’ve included the average height that each peony seed-heads can be simply growth habit and its ease of variety typically grows to, as a guide, to help you decide where to position the plants in stunning to see! Some plants also flowering in a pot, making your garden. have very colourful autumn foliage. them the perfect peonies for the patio, balcony or roof FLOWERING TIMES - Different varieties of peony flower at slightly different times of the year. gardens. They feature strong In the UK early peonies flower in April, mid-season peonies in May, and late-flowering in June. OUR PROFESSIONAL PEONY stems and upright blooms. You can use our simple identifier charts at the end of the catalogue to find the right flowering FERTILISER is currently available They are able to be planted season for your garden and the flowering time of each plant is also alongside each peony image. for you to use in spring and as a in borders as they do well in late summer/autumn rejuvenator any sunny position. Patio FRAGRANCE - Some peonies have exquisite scent! We have identified which peonies will varieties have various types see page 67 for more information have a fragrance in our chart at the back and this information is alongside each image. of flower shapes fully double, double and single flowers. 4 5 HERBACEOUS PEONIES HERBACEOUS PEONIES HERBACEOUS PEONIES PAEONIA AMERICA PAEONIA LACTIFLORA ADOLPHE ROUSSEAU Finely-cut, dark-green foliage, fiery-red, tulip-like, cupped Historic variety with dark foliage, tinged, red. Large, double, single flowers with ruffled petals and yellow centres. dark red/maroon flowers with yellow stamens and red stigmas. Fragrant. Flowering: EARLY-MID Flowering: EARLY-MID Height: 90cm Spread: 50cm £39 Height: 90cm Spread: 60cm £28 PAEONIA OFFICINALIS ANEMONIFLORA ROSEA PAEONIA X FESTIVA ALBA PLENA Semi-double deep pink flowers with ribbon-like centre petaloids. Finely-cut foliage and medium-sized, milk-white This plant has been given The Royal Horticultural Society Award of double flowers. Low growing. No staking is needed. Garden Merit (RHS AGM) because it has proved to be reliable in appropriate conditions, a good performing plant. Flowering: EARLY-MID Height: 60cm Spread: 60cm £25 Flowering: EARLY-MID Height: 60cm Spread: 50cm £28 PAEONIA LACTIFLORA ALBERT CROUSSE PAEONIA LACTIFLORA ANGEL CHEEKS Finely-cut foliage and large, light-pink double flowers Cracking cameo-pink and white, double bomb-shaped flowers, with creamy tones, tinted with darker pink in the centre. with raspberry flashes. An excellent cut flower. Fragrant. Flowering: MID-LATE Fragrant. Flowering: EARLY-MID Height: 90cm Spread: 50cm £28 Height: 90cm Spread: 60cm £38 PAEONIA LACTIFLORA ALERTIE PAEONIA LACTIFLORA ANN COUSINS Beautiful soft-pink, double flowers, with a darker Finely-cut, dark-green foliage and beautiful, pure centre on shorter stemmed, mid-green, foliage. white, double flowers, with a rose scent. Fragrant. Flowering: EARLY-MID Fragrant. Flowering: LATE Height: 75cm Spread: 50cm £28 Height: 90cm Spread: 50cm £39 PAEONIA LACTIFLORA ALICE HARDING PAEONIA ANOMALA Large, fully double, white/pale-pink flowers with pink-tinged Divided leaves and deep rose-magenta single flowers guard petals. Finely-cut dark-green foliage. Very beautiful. with golden stamens. Fragrant. Flowering: MID-LATE Flowering: EARLY-MID Height: 90cm Spread: 50cm £28 Height: 60 cm Spread: 40cm £36 PAEONIA LACTIFLORA AMABILIS PAEONIA LACTIFLORA ANTWERPEN Large, striking, dusky-pink double flowers, mid-green An attractive mid-sized peony with very large, pink, Japanese foliage. style flowers. Sweetly Fragrant. Flowering: MID Flowering: MID Height: 90cm Spread: 60cm £28 Height: 80cm Spread: 50cm £25 8 9 HERBACEOUS PEONIES HERBACEOUS PEONIES PAEONIA LACTIFLORA APRICOT QUEEN PAEONIA LACTIFLORA BELLA DONNA Finely-cut, dark-green foliage, with large, creamy apricot Beautiful and rarely seen, double pink flowers edged in single flowers.