Paeonia ‘Claire de Lune’ (paeony / peony) £34.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy Prized for their blowsy, glamorous blooms and glossy, deeply cut foliage, peonies are held in deep affection by many gardeners, despite their short flowering season and vulnerability to peony wilt in damp weather. It’s easy to see why. From the promise of early spring, when their red, mottled shoots push through bare earth and the handsome foliage unfurls, to early summer, when the huge flowers burst open from spherical red buds, peonies exert a fascination that few can resist. ‘Claire de Lune’ is a variety, with stunning, large, single, fragrant, pale lemon-yellow flowers with deeper yellow, fluffy centres from late spring to early summer. It flowers best in full sun. Fill the bare ground around the peony with spring bulbs to prolong the season of interest. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch well with well rotted garden compost or manure. If the plant shows signs of collapse or the leaves become spotty, this may be a symptom of peony botrytis. Remove affected leaves immediately. In autumn, cut off all foliage and dispose of it to prevent reinfection the following spring.

Paeonia ‘Buckeye Belle’ (paeony / peony) £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy Prized for their blowsy, glamorous blooms and glossy, deeply cut foliage, peonies are held in deep affection by many gardeners, despite their short flowering season and vulnerability to peony wilt in damp weather. It’s easy to see why. From the promise of early spring, when their red, mottled shoots push through bare earth and the handsome foliage unfurls, to early summer, when the huge flowers burst open from spherical red buds, peonies exert a fascination that few can resist. ‘Buckeye Belle; has deep red semi-double flowers from early to mid summer and dark green leaves. This lovely, early-flowering peony will thrive in partial shade but will prefer a sunnier spot. Fill the bare ground around the peony with spring bulbs to prolong the season of interest. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch well with well rotted garden compost or manure. If the plant shows signs of collapse or the leaves become spotty, this may be a symptom of peony botrytis. Remove affected leaves immediately. In autumn, cut off all foliage and dispose of it to prevent reinfection the following spring.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ (paeony / peony) £14.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to July Flower colour: pink Other features: ideal as cut flowers Hardiness: fully hardy Rose pink, fragrant, double summer flowers with a silver sheen contrast well with the green leaves. It is an heirloom variety dating from the late nineteenth century, and for decades it has been one of the most popular pink peonies. A delightful plant, which is perfect for the middle of a partially sunny border, the scented blooms make fabulous cut flowers. Garden care: In early spring apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. Fungal diseases may occur in cool, wet springs so prune out any affected parts and spray the remaining sections with fungicide. Deadhead after flowering.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Jan van Leeuwen’ (paeony / peony) £12.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to June Flower colour: white and yellow Other features: red mottled stems Hardiness: fully hardy Fragrant, elegant, single white flowers with a contrasting yellow centre appear from late spring to early summer over the dark green leaves. This lovely, long lived, late spring flowering peony is perfect for a border in full sun or partial shade. The foliage provides interest from early spring, when the red mottled stems first emerge from the ground. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch well with well rotted garden compost or manure. The older stems of tree peonies have a tendency to become brittle and snap so cut these back to the ground in autumn every two or three years.

Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ (paeony / peony) £11.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to June Hardiness: fully hardy A magnificent herbaceous peony, that puts on showy display from late spring to early summer with its goblet-shaped flowers. These form at the ends of the sturdy, upright stems and are an incredible shade of rich coral, which fades as the flower ages to a pale lemon. They last well after being cut and look great in a vase too. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch well with well rotted garden compost or manure. The older stems of tree peonies have a tendency to become brittle and snap so cut these back to the ground in autumn every two or three years. accented by full, deep yellow stamen centers

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Angel Cheeks’ (peony) £11.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May to June Flower colour: pink Hardiness: fully hardy A showy perennial for early summer, the fully double pink flowers look wonderful in the border, and last well in a vase if they are cut while still in bud. Its soft colouring will mix easily into most colour schemes, but it looks particularly good with deep plum and shades of purple. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch well with well rotted garden compost or manure. The older stems of tree peonies have a tendency to become brittle and snap so cut these back to the ground in autumn every two or three years.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Immaculee’ (peony) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to July Flower colour: white Other features: red mottled stems Hardiness: fully hardy Big, bowl-shaped, white flowers that have a good scent, are produced in early summer above the rich green foliage. The flowers last well on the plant, and also make good additions to cut arrangements. Perfectly suited to mixed or herbaceous borders in either full sun or lightly dappled shade, they are also effective on the outer fringes of a woodland setting. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch well with well rotted garden compost or manure. The older stems of tree peonies have a tendency to become brittle and snap so cut these back to the ground in autumn every two or three years.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Karl Rosenfield’ (paeony / peony) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to July Hardiness: fully hardy Prized for their blowsy, glamorous blooms and glossy, deeply cut foliage, peonies are held in deep affection by many gardeners, despite their shortish flowering season and vulnerability to peony wilt in damp weather. It’s easy to see why. From the promise of early spring, when their red, mottled shoots push through bare earth and the handsome foliage unfurls from spherical red buds, to early summer, when the huge flowers burst open, peonies exert a fascination that few can resist. ‘Karl Rosenfield’ has fragrant double flowers of startling magenta, from early to mid summer among deeply cut mid green leaves. The reddish-bronze foliage of this striking peony provides interest from early spring and after the plant has flowered. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top dressing of a balanced, slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. If the plant shows signs of collapse or the leaves become spotty, this may be a symptom of peony botrytis. Remove affected leaves immediately. In the autumn, cut off all the foliage and dispose of it to prevent reinfection the following spring.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Shirley Temple’ (paeony / peony) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to July Hardiness: fully hardy Prized for their blowsy, glamorous blooms and glossy, deeply cut foliage, peonies are held in deep affection by many gardeners, despite their shortish flowering season and vulnerability to peony wilt in damp weather. It’s easy to see why. From the promise of early spring, when their red, mottled shoots push through bare earth and the handsome foliage unfurls from spherical red buds, to early summer, when the huge flowers burst open, peonies exert a fascination that few can resist. ‘Shirley Temple’ is later flowering than many peonies with large, pale pink, double flowers, gently fading to buff-white, and mid green leaves. The centre of each beautiful, scented flower is full of small, loosely arranged ruffled petals. It will thrive in full sun or partial shade. Fill the bare ground around the peony before the leaves appear with spring bulbs to prolong the season of interest. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top dressing of a balanced, slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. If the plant shows signs of collapse or the leaves become spotty, this may be a symptom of peony botrytis. Remove affected leaves immediately. In the autumn, cut off all the foliage and dispose of it to prevent reinfection the following spring.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ (paeony / peony) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained Rate of growth: average Flowering period: June to July Hardiness: fully hardy Prized for their blowsy, glamorous blooms and glossy, deeply cut foliage, peonies are held in deep affection by many gardeners, despite their short flowering season and vulnerability to peony wilt in damp weather. It’s easy to see why. From the promise of early spring, when their red, mottled shoots push through bare earth and the handsome foliage unfurls from spherical red buds, to early summer, when the huge flowers burst open, peonies exert a fascination that few can resist. ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ has huge, bowl-shaped pure white, fragrant, double flowers, flushed green in bud, from early to midsummer. This classic, double- flowered peony from the mid nineteenth century is a favourite of the cut-flower trade. It will thrive in full sun or partial shade. Fill the bare ground around the peony before the leaves appear with spring bulbs to prolong the season of interest. Garden care: Deadhead after flowering. In early spring apply a top dressing of a balanced slow release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. If the plant shows signs of collapse or the leaves become spotty, this may be a symptom of peony botrytis. Remove affected leaves immediately. In the autumn, cut off all the foliage and dispose of it to prevent reinfection the following spring.

Tulipa ‘Angelique’ (double late tulip bulbs) £3.99
Position: full sun Soil: fertile, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: early May Flower colour: pink Other features: excellent cut-flowers Hardiness: fully hardy Bulb size: 11/12 Delicate, soft pink, double, bowl-shaped flower, flushed with both paler and darker shades of pink in April and May. From a distance, you could easily mistake these tulips for peonies and they are usually one of the last tulip into flower – so a good one to choose if you want to extend a bedding display. Garden care: In September to December plant bulbs 15-20cm deep and 10-15cm apart in fertile, well-drained soil. Alternatively, allow 7-9 bulbs per 30cm sq. After flowering dead-head and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser each week for the first month. Once the foliage has died down naturally lift the bulbs and store in a cool greenhouse.