Sure we had an icy cold winter, but there were big payoffs in the peony department. Peonies need to winter over (proper term: vernalization). I have heard of locals dumping ice around their peonies to fake a chill; that was entirely unnecessary this year. Dallas gardeners are reporting a great peony show, and with them, of course, the parade of busy ants.
Ants! There are many theories about why ants and peonies are the Ginger and Fred of the perennial garden — as in the ants help the petals open, or the ants are somehow pollinating the blooms, but mainly they just like the nectar. I brought an armful of peonies into the office last week, and my white desk was instantly rendered a dizzying array of ants going in a thousand different directions at once.
How to deal? Leslie Halleck Finical, general manager at North Haven Gardens, has helpful advice: “While it will be difficult to remove all of the tiny ants before cutting the blooms, you can use a light shower on the plants and then shake the stems to remove them. If the blooms are still heavy with ants, you can place the cut flowers upside down in a shallow bucket of water for a few minutes. Gently shake off the excess water and the blooms will be fine. Also, consider cutting the blooms as they are swelling but not fully open. There will be fewer ants on the blooms at this stage and you’ll enjoy longer bloom-time from you flower arrangement.”
(NB: Peonies are really easy to grow, best planted in mid-autumn. I will remind you when it’s time.)
