PEONIES: Cultivating Beauty and Unlocking Landscape Utility

Peonies: Cultivating Beauty & Unlocking Landscape Utility

Instructor: Nick Maycher, Prairie Peony 

Website: https://www.prairiepeonies.com

Overview

Peonies are often misunderstood as floppy, short-blooming ornamentals with limited landscape value. This presentation challenges those outdated perceptions and showcases peonies as diverse, resilient, and highly effective landscape plants, made possible through modern hybridization and a better understanding of peony groups.

What You’ll Learn

• Why peonies are excellent long-term garden and landscape plants

• Basic growing requirements for successful peony cultivation

• How modern cultivars outperform traditional peonies in structure and performance

  
  

Understanding Peony Diversity

• A clear introduction to the five major peony groups

• How knowing these groups allows gardeners to choose cultivars suited to specific design and site needs

• Moving beyond common myths such as weak stems and short bloom times

Cultivar Selection & Landscape Use

• Peonies for a staggered and extended bloom sequence

• Compact cultivars for rock gardens and the front of borders

• Top-performing landscape peonies with strong stems and standout presence

• Peonies that stand up and stand out

Bonus Topic (Time Permitting)

• An introduction to growing peonies from seed

• Why this rewarding practice is rarely explored

• How seed-grown peonies expand diversity and deepen the gardening experience

Who Should Attend

• Home gardeners

• Landscape designers

• Plant enthusiasts looking to rethink peonies

This presentation equips attendees with the knowledge and confidence to leave antiquated peony myths in the past and grow peonies that truly shine in modern landscapes.