Beginning gardeners usually do not dare to place some unknown “overseas” varieties on their plot. The reason for this is the widespread belief that elite varieties will have to be looked after in a special way, that these plants are capricious and short-lived. And as a result, the money spent on purchasing a new product will be thrown away. This opinion is completely refuted by the Shirley Temple peony.

Description

The variety was developed in the United States of America in 1948. Its author is the scientist-breeder Louis Smirnov. The peony received its name in honor of the Hollywood actress Shirley Temple, who became an Oscar winner.

"Shirley Temple" belongs to the class of herbaceous peonies. The stems, up to 90 centimeters high, are very strong and do not bend under the weight of large double flowers, the diameter of which is about 20 cm.

The shape of the flowers is spherical, dense, appearance they resemble roses. The similarity is enhanced by the delicate aroma.

At the bud stage, the flower has a pinkish color, which gradually changes to snow-white when blooming. They begin to bloom at the end of May; flowering times are always different. dark leaves green, openwork, very decorative. With the onset of autumn they turn purple. Mature bushes, thanks to their powerful shoots, do not need support.

The variety is characterized by increased frost resistance and easily tolerates cold snaps down to -40 degrees. Can winter without shelter. It has increased resistance to diseases and is little affected by pests. The place in the garden for this crop must be chosen very responsibly, since this perennial can grow without replanting for up to thirty years.

Features of cultivation

Shirley Temple has the same requirements as most peonies.

• Loves well-lit open areas. It is here that he will reveal all his splendor. However, in hot weather You will need light shelter from too bright sunlight.
• Also, do not forget that there should be no bushes or tall trees nearby, and it is better to maintain a distance of three meters from the nearest buildings, no less. Peonies are placed on an area two meters from one another. This arrangement promotes good ventilation and prevents the occurrence of diseases.
• The hole for planting is prepared thoroughly, deep, taking into account strongly growing roots.
• Even if the soil is quite loose, it is better to lay drainage at the bottom: gravel, crushed stone, sand, or at least broken brick.
• To provide for the first time young plant food, pour out about three buckets of humus, a half-liter jar of wood ash and half a glass of mineral fertilizers, which include potassium and phosphorus (for example, superphosphate, potassium sulfate). Everything is thoroughly mixed with soil.
• This crop prefers light, slightly acidic soil. Therefore, if necessary, lime is added to the soil.

In addition to herbaceous, there is also tree variety"Shirley Temple". There are some differences in the way they are planted. Tree-like ones are planted deeper so that the roots of the plant can fully develop, but herbaceous ones, on the contrary, do not like great depth.

After the hole is completely prepared, planting begins. The seedling is placed in the middle and covered with earth so that the upper buds are at a depth of 3-4 centimeters for the herbaceous variety, and up to 8 cm for the tree-like variety.

The soil around the bush is slightly compacted, watered and mulched with dry humus, crushed bark, sawdust or dried grass.

Further care in the first two to three years is as follows.

• Frequent but moderate watering. Both a lack of moisture and its excess are equally destructive for a plant.
• Constant loosening of the soil, carried out the day after rain or watering.
• Timely removal of weeds.
• In autumn, after the onset of the first cold weather, the above-ground part is cut almost to ground level.
• Despite the fact that the variety is frost-resistant, It is better to cover young bushes for the winter, Sprinkling a layer of humus or compost on top.
• In the spring, as soon as the threat of frost has passed, insulation is removed.

Mulch

At 3-4 years old, the peony blooms for the first time. From this time on they begin to feed him. For convenience, the procedure can be combined with watering. In total, three feedings are carried out per season.

• At the beginning of spring they add organic fertilizers. This helps the plant grow faster and get stronger after winter.
• Fertilize the second time before flowering, when the buds begin to swell. Here you will need mineral fertilizers with phosphorus content.
• The third feeding is carried out closer to autumn, when faded peonies are preparing for winter. The fertilizer must contain potassium. Under no circumstances should you add nitrogen, as the shoots will grow and the roots will not have time to accumulate a sufficient amount of nutrients.
• After frost, plant stems are cut at a height of 7-8 centimeters from the surface. Mature peony bushes can easily withstand winter cold.

Application in design

Such a luxurious plant as Shirley Temple deserves a place of honor on any garden plot. Moreover, it is not difficult to care for it.

Here are some ideas for using this crop in landscape projects.

• Single or group planting on the lawn, can be framed by ground cover perennials, such as bergenia.
• In the middle of a large round flowerbed, surrounded by low-growing bright annuals with different terms flowering: petunias, asters, gerberas.
• As a lush border along a garden path. Here, gladioli, foxglove, and aquilegia can serve as “companions” for them.
• This peony will look just as good next to hybrid tea roses suitable shade. Choose pastel or pink colors.

Wherever this flower is planted, it will always occupy a leading position, and all the others will serve as just a background for it.

Peony Shirley Temple - belongs to the herbaceous class with dense, semi-double flowers, incredibly beautiful inflorescences up to 20 cm in diameter, soft pink color, later they become pure white. The flower is composed of regularly arranged concave petals, like scales. Peony flower stalks are very stable and do not require support with a height of 70-80 cm, thanks to which the bush retains its shape and does not collapse under the weight of large flowers. Openwork lush dissected foliage lasts until late autumn, turning from dark green to crimson. Shirley Temple peonies grow well in any soil, especially rich nutrients. They require almost no maintenance and are very frost-resistant. Peonies planted in well-fertilized soil do not need to be fertilized in the first year and several subsequent years. After transplantation, varietal qualities appear in 2-3 years! The most common method of propagating peonies is by dividing the rhizomes, which should be done in August or early September. In autumn, with the onset of stable frosts, around mid-October, the stems of peonies are cut off, leaving stumps 1-2 cm high above the buds. For the winter, peonies are covered with a layer of peat or unripe compost. There is no need to cover adult plants. When the soil thaws in the spring, remove the insulating cover, as the buds quickly begin to grow. To send a Shirley Temple peony, a standard cut with 2-3 buds in the amount of 1 piece is used, delivery is carried out by Russian Post, transport companies PEC, SDEK or the one that is convenient for you. You can order and buy Shirley Temple peony seedlings by clicking the button to the basket.

Type of packaging: a bag of peat, a label indicating the variety, a standard section with 2-3 buds.

Delivery terms: Orders with peony seedlings are sent in the autumn, from September 1, and spring, from March 1, seasons (shipping restrictions in accordance with the customer’s climate zone).

Choosing flowers to plant on personal plot It is worth paying attention to the Shirley Temple peony with lush spherical double inflorescences and a bewitching aroma.

Shirley Temple has double inflorescences reaching a diameter of favorable conditions 20 cm. When blooming, the buds have a soft pink color, and a little later they become snow-white. The variety retains its decorative appearance even after flowering thanks to its delicate, lush foliage.

Brief description of the variety:

• reaches 90 cm in height,
• blooms in the last ten days of May,
• refers to milky-flowered peonies.

The plant is drought-resistant and winter-hardy - tolerates frosts down to -40 degrees.

Flowering "Shirley Temple" lasts up to 20 days. IN wildlife grows in Transbaikalia and Siberia. Used for medicinal purposes.

Planting in open ground

Planting is carried out both in spring and in the autumn months. In the southern regions, where spring is short and hot, planting in autumn is preferable. In the middle zone, it is recommended to plant peonies in the spring.

The plant prefers open areas well lit by the sun throughout the day. Peonies also grow in partial shade, but in this case you should not wait lush flowering. The plant needs good air circulation, so plantings should not be thickened. Close proximity to big trees and bushes.

If we talk about soil preferences, the herbaceous peony “Shirley Temple” loves loamy soil, cultivated. You should not plant bushes in areas with close lying groundwater and with a slightly acidic soil reaction.

If the site has clay soil, sand should be added when planting. Clay is added to sandy soil. You can deoxidize the soil by adding 300 g of lime.

Planting holes begin to be prepared a month before the planned planting. The hole should be spacious, at least 60 cm wide and 70 cm deep. The planting hole is filled 2/3 with fertile soil, to which 200 g of superphosphate and 300 g of wood ash are added.

Peony seedlings are lowered into the hole and covered with garden soil, compacted and shed generously. The distance between bushes is left at least 1 meter.

In the first couple of years of life, peonies usually do not bloom. Plants may even look weakened. This is a natural phenomenon, since the root system develops at first.

How to care for a plant

The bushes need to be watered moderately, not allowing the soil to dry out. It is especially important not to skip watering in the spring. In autumn, moderate moisture is also necessary, since during this time goes by laying the buds for next year. Approximate consumption – 2 buckets per bush.

In the first years of life, foliar feeding with mineral fertilizers is carried out.

Adult plants are fed at the root three times. In the spring, fertilizers are scattered over the melting snow, then the peonies are fed during budding and a couple of weeks after the end of flowering.

In autumn, the aboveground part of the bushes is cut off at ground level. Pruning is carried out only after the first cold snap. This variety does not need to be covered for the winter.

Methods for propagating an interspecific hybrid

The peony "Shirley Temple" milky-flowered reproduces vegetatively and by seed. Breeding the variety with seeds is a rather labor-intensive and lengthy process. It is much easier to propagate a plant by dividing the bush.

Specimens that have reached four years of age are suitable for division. You can divide the bush in mid-August. In the southern regions, breeding is recommended in September.

The bush is dug up and removed from the ground, and then divided into sections with a shovel. Each part must have at least three buds. Before planting, the cuttings should be disinfected in a weak solution of manganese. After planting, young plants are watered generously and mulched before winter. For the first couple of years, all the buds of peonies need to be cut off so that the plant can direct its energy to the development of the root system.

Pest and disease control

The main enemy of the variety is viruses. In most cases, these diseases enter the garden along with purchased new plants. But even if healthy bushes were planted, harmful insects - aphids - can bring disease. The most common virus is ring spot. Due to this disease, ring spots appear on the leaves, forming a marble pattern. Unfortunately, viruses cannot be treated, and diseased specimens will have to be destroyed.

Of the fungal diseases peonies can affect gray rot. Symptoms of the disease: appearance brown spots, drying of flowers. The disease can develop due to too thick planting. Treatment is spraying with fungicides.

There are not many pests for peonies. Bronze beetles and aphids mainly feed on the bushes. The beetles are collected by hand, and the preparations Aktara and Kinmiks are used against aphid colonies.

Peonies are ideal perennials for the garden that do not require painstaking care and constant attention. In response to a little care, "Shirley Temple" will thank you with lush flowering.

The milky peony is a unique plant that is famous not only for its decorative, but also for its medicinal qualities.

This species was introduced to England in the 1700s and quickly became famous throughout the world. In nature, it is widespread in China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea and Russia.

It is in China and Japan that it is used mainly for medicinal purposes. Active ingredient plant is pionoflorin. With its help you can reduce the temperature, relieve pain and even stop bleeding. Decoctions of the rhizome of this plant also help with bronchitis, tuberculosis and pneumonia.

Appearance Features

Peony is a perennial herbaceous plant height from 60 to 100 cm. The stem of the plant is bare and has 1 or several flowers. Peony leaves are double-triple, elliptical or lanceolate in shape. Mostly there is a white or red tint of the flower, the length of the petals reaches approximately 8 cm.

What are peonies?

Each plant has from 3 to 6 fruits, which differ oval shape and black color. Peony blooms in May, and its seeds ripen in October.

Variety of peony varieties

This culture is simply replete with a variety of varieties. The most popular among them are:

• Peony Kansas is famous for its large flowers, the diameter of which reaches about 20 cm. The color of the flower is rich red with a raspberry-lilac tint. It has a delicate and pleasant aroma. The height of the Kansas peony reaches 90 cm. Its advantage is that it stands cut in water for a long time.
• The Miss America peony has semi-double flowers, the diameter of which reaches 25 cm. The color of the flower is initially white, and when it blooms, it acquires a pink tint. Miss America has a very light aroma. In 1956 and 1971 this variety received Gold medal from the American Peony Society.
• Peony Red Charm has won the hearts of many gardeners thanks to its lush flowers and dense foliage. Translated from English, Red Charm means “red charm”. The height of the bush reaches 75 cm, and the diameter of the flower reaches 20 cm. Flowering in its 3rd year of life is especially admirable.
• Peony Duchess de Nemours is one of the oldest varieties that have a white tint. It is this species that for many years remains the standard by which other varieties are evaluated. Peony received an award from the English Royal Horticultural Society.
• Peony Raspberry Sunday saw the world thanks to Dutch scientists. What is most striking is the color of the flowers of this plant: it harmoniously combines white, yellow and pink shades. This variety also has a strong and pleasant aroma.
• Peony Sarah Bernhardt Red received its name thanks to Pierre Lemoine. The breeder named the flower in honor of the then famous actress Sarah Bernhardt, who, in his opinion, was as elegant and sophisticated as this peony. A characteristic feature of the variety is its high frost resistance and diversity. color range. The milky peony Red Sarah Bernardt has not only a red tint: there are also plants of this variety that have white, yellow and cream colors. Another peculiarity of Bernard is that it begins to turn green in April and retains its decorative effect until autumn.
• Peony Sylvia Sanders cannot boast of a notable aroma, since it is very weak and vague. But Silvia has pure pink delicate color, from which it is simply impossible to take your eyes off.

Sylvia Sanders

Peony Shirley Temple: description

The Shirley Temple peony is quite interesting from a decorative point of view. This plant began to be used very widely in the landscape back in the 16th century. White or pale pink shades of this variety look harmonious with many plants. However, although the flower tolerates proximity, it does not like too close plantings. The advantage of Shirley is that it can have more than 3 flowers on 1 stem.

The variety is not afraid of frost and drought, and is also very resistant to gray rot.

Pay attention! Shirley Temple is widely used to treat colds.

Features of planting and caring for crops

In order for a peony to develop well and delight with its excellent flowers, it is necessary to properly care for it.

It all starts with landing. The plant is planted in autumn. To do this, a month before planting, a place is selected and the soil is prepared.

A planting hole is dug with dimensions of 60×60×60 cm. Its 2/3 parts are filled in equal quantities with a mixture of sand, humus and garden soil. Add to them 500 g of bone meal, 1 tbsp. l. iron sulfate and a liter of wood ash. To fill the remaining space, you need to add regular soil.

Planting peonies (diagram)

In the first year after planting, the peony will not bloom and will have only 1 or 2 stems. Do not be alarmed if the plant does not bloom in the second year. The main thing is that it is more developed than in the first year of life. At this point, the peony should have 3 to 6 stems.

Young plants need foliar feeding, which begins from the second week of May. Repeat it once a month. Mineral fertilizers are well suited for this. For example, you can use the Ideal tool. To ensure that the peony absorbs the fertilizer well, you can add a little soap to it.

Important! It is necessary to fertilize the flower in the evening or in cloudy weather.

If the plant is already mature, then it needs feeding at the beginning of the growing season. They are introduced starting from the 2nd week of May with an interval of 3 weeks. Each stage differs in the type of fertilizer:

1. 50 g of urea are diluted in 10 liters of water.
2. Add 1 tablet of microfertilizer to 10 liters of urea solution.
3. Dissolve 2 tablets of microfertilizer in 10 liters of water.

Plants need to be watered infrequently, but well - about 2-3 buckets per bush, so that the water reaches the roots well. Peonies especially need moisture in the spring and during the flowering period.

Important! After each watering, the soil must be loosened. This helps improve air circulation and prevent the development of certain diseases.

Varieties of milky peony can remain profusely flowering for about 30 years, and some species can live for 100 years.

In the fall, before frost sets in, the plant is cut down to the soil level and sprinkled with ash.

Peonies are usually propagated by division and seeds.

You can divide a plant that has lived for at least 4 years. It should already have at least 7 stems and a well-developed root system.

As for the seeds, they are sown in moist soil in August. It is better to use freshly collected seeds, then they will germinate in the first year.

Important! Peonies that are planted with seeds will bloom no earlier than the 3rd year of their life.

Main diseases and pests of crops

Most often, milk-flowering peonies are affected by viral and fungal infections. The causes of such diseases are mainly weather conditions. For example, in spring and summer, when the weather is damp and rainy, gray rot quickly develops. If it is warm and humid outside, rust may appear. However, the cause of the disease is not only weather conditions. So, fungal diseases may also occur due to soil oversaturated with nitrogen or due to excessive shading of the area.

Diseases:

• The most dangerous is gray rot, since it affects all parts of the plant. The disease can be detected at an early stage in the spring, when the peony begins to fade. Over time, the crop will become covered with gray areas, and a brown color will appear around the root collar. If the plant is not treated, it may rot and die. To prevent the appearance of gray rot, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil, avoid dense plantings and not overuse excessive watering soil. If infection has already occurred, then you can use a remedy such as Photosporin-M.
• Rust appears on the plant in the form brown spots. This disease causes the leaves to die, and if left untreated, other parts of the plant may also suffer. Over time, the peony may even die, since photosynthesis and metabolism are disrupted in the infected flower, and it also quickly loses moisture. This disease can be overcome with the help of products that contain sulfur. Good helpers in this matter are Abiga-Pik, Cumulus, Polyram, Strobi.
• The cause of spotting is microscopic fungi, or viral particles. But most often the appearance of this disease is caused by small worms called nematodes. In the early stages, the disease is difficult to identify, and when it has already progressed, it is difficult to treat and often leads to the death of the plant. To combat the disease, Gamair or Photosporin-M are used.

Peonies can also be attacked by a variety of ants, beetles and caterpillars. To get rid of them, you should treat the plant with a preparation such as Iskra.

If you care for these flowers correctly, they will serve as an excellent decoration for your yard or summer cottage more than one year. Peonies will add delicate and original notes to the landscape.