Companion Plants for Peonies~Page 2

Monarda, from the mint family. In this garden it grows in red, deep burgundy, and lavender. 36 to 48 inches tall.

Monarda, Cambridge Scarlet

Spring Through Summer

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. - Claude Monet

The perennial and peony garden will always need dividing, so it's a good idea to have a record of what you've planted and where. Pictures are a great way to do this, and are very helpful to look back on each year to identify which flowers bloom at the same time as others, and at what time they begin blooming.

Since I usually don't begin dividing some perennials until spring or late fall after they have bloomed, I often refer to these pictures. To see a larger view, click on the picture.

Peonies are nearly in full bloom now (late May) with pink Oriental Poppies. If you look closely, you will see the deep purple Allium Drumstick and Chrystophil, and blue Delphinium in bloom. By later summer, tall pink, lavender and white phlox will fill in the apparently empty space in this tier.

August: Mums and Monarda fill in where peonies bloomed. Pink mums (foreground, right) about 15" high begin blooming in late summer. Left of the pink Gladiolas are deep red and burgundy Monarda. The tall feathery purple in background is Liatrus, a summer-bloomer. This grows from a bulb, comes in white or purple, and can be divided every few years. A group of these makes an excellent show. Below is another view of this bed.

Monarda comes in several shades of red and a pale lavender called M. fistulosa. It is actually an herb, with a 4 cornered stem instead of a round stem. It is fragrant, being of the mint family, and a favorite of hummingbirds. An interesting feature about this plant is that a second flower will grow from the very center of the first flower. These get to 24" to 48" tall, depending on sun. They do like sun, yet they also are prone to mildew. They do spread, but in a more contained manner, unlike most of the mint family. I divide these every few years; they are now in several of my beds.

Pink Cistus Rock Rose (bush, 3'x3'), which blooms all season, begins this bed. Pink Glads and Monarda appear to be in the same space once occupied by blooming peonies and pink Oriental Poppies. Large Shasta Daisies in background.