Content
Nothing brightens up a garden like peonies. These plants are the favorites of many landscape designers and gardeners. Peony Sunny Girl deserves special attention, as it has all the characteristics that a gardener requires: unpretentiousness, large buds, strong stems, beautiful flowering.
How the variety appeared
Peony Sunny Girl is the result of American breeding work that has been actively carried out since the middle of the last century and continues to this day. Credit: Chris Laning. The variety was developed in 1985.
Description of peony Sunny Girl with photo
A distinctive feature of Sunny Girl from other peonies are the beautiful buds that grow singly on a peduncle, but are not afraid of close proximity. They have a delicate yellowish color, which can be uniform or heterogeneous (the flower is darker in the middle), depending on the growing conditions.
Sunny Girl is considered one of the most famous peony varieties in this color scheme.It is a perennial hybrid with dark green leaves and erect stems.
The plant has powerful shoots that are not afraid of drafts
It is better to compress the bushes near a wall or fence.
Flowering dates for peony Sunny Girl
During the flowering period, which occurs in early to mid-June, the plant reveals its decorative potential. Landscape designers even advise focusing on peonies. Semi-double flowers grow up to 18.5 cm in diameter. The outer and inner rows of petals form a beautiful pattern.
The flowering period is long - until August. In Siberia, flowers may fade faster.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Sunny Girl peony has amazing winter hardiness, which makes planting possible in cold areas such as Siberia and the Urals.
The plant has strong immunity, providing protection against many insects and pests.
Pros:
- highly decorative;
- large flowers;
- intense aroma;
- unpretentiousness.
Flaws:
- For cultivation, certain conditions are required - average humidity, a specific type of soil.
Planting peony Sunny Girl
If you are planting peonies for the first time, you need to know a little about the specifics of choosing a location. This group of plants prefers sunny areas with low groundwater levels. However, planting in a little shade will not harm Sunny Girl.
It is advisable to choose a site in which the crop will not have to deal with regular winds. Drafts have a bad effect on the peony's immunity. The soil should be slightly acidic or neutral, always loose and fertile.
Dig a hole in advance, mix garden soil with organic matter and dig it back in.
Spring is the best time to plant the Sunny Girl peony.
You need to dig a planting hole and place the seedling in it. Care is important here, since young roots are very fragile and may not recover if damaged.
After completion of the work, Sunny Girl is watered and covered with mulch the next day.
Care instructions
Growing peonies requires compliance with agricultural technology. It consists of proper hydration, periodic feeding, tying, pruning and preparation for winter. Novice gardeners make mistakes in these procedures that lead to negative consequences.
The following recommendations will help you care for the Sunny Girl peony correctly:
- Watering. The culture does not tolerate overwatering, so the moisture schedule must be drawn up very carefully. For example, if the season is hot, it is necessary to add up to 30 liters of water weekly, and in cloudy weather 20 liters of water per week will be enough. It is also recommended to increase the amount of liquid during the budding period.
- Feeding. Sunny Girl, like other hybrid peonies, grows quickly, which means the plant requires a large amount of nutrients in the soil. If the soil does not have the necessary reserves, they must be added systematically: the first addition is the beginning of summer, the second is the period when inflorescences appear, the third is the end of flowering. In the first half of the season they focus on mineral complexes, and in the second on organic matter.
- Garter. This procedure becomes necessary as they grow. Usually, a garter is required already at the budding stage, because Sunny Girl’s flowers are large. It is necessary to drive a peg into the ground and tie the stem to it with a soft rope.Sometimes bushes grow so vigorously that they may require several stakes to maintain them.
- Trimming. Peonies do not require a shaping haircut, but do need a sanitary one. Pruning is carried out twice a year, in spring and autumn. The gardener needs to look for wilted flowers, broken stems, damaged leaves - all of which require removal.
Preparing for winter
Peony Sunny Girl can be grown in cold regions, but in this case preparation is required:
- The bush is trimmed short. They are guided by forecasts of weather forecasters - they are cut before the onset of cold weather. Sections no higher than 4 cm are left above the ground.
- Sunny Girl is covered with spruce branches or peat.
Mulching material must be laid very tightly
Reproduction methods
Sunny Girl peonies can be grown by dividing mature bushes. To do this, you will need a healthy sample: dig up the soil around it, carefully remove the roots and transfer the plant to dry. After drying, the roots are separated using a knife (pre-sharpened and sterilized); each division should contain 3 renewal buds.
Each cut is sprinkled with coal or coated with garden pitch. If some roots are deformed, they need to be removed. The further landing procedure is described above.
Disease and pest control
Proper growing technology solves most problems with pests and diseases. Peony Sunny Girl himself is not prone to infection - he has a strong immune system.But there are exceptional cases.
If the bush is attacked by spider mites, thrips or aphids, it is not recommended to delay treatment. Soap solution and insecticides are effective against pests.
Diseases appear as a result of waterlogging, usually they are rust, powdery mildew, and gray rot. The remedy Fitosporin helps with ailments. They also carry out seasonal preventive treatments.
Application in design
Peony Sunny Girl fits into most landscapes and can become part of a cottage, alley, garden or square
The bushes are so large and graceful that they attract attention to themselves. They are advised to be placed against the backdrop of green hedges.
You can plant Sunny Girl separately or create a mix of plants
Conclusion
Peony Sunny Girl has the following qualities: frost resistance, light-loving, resistance to diseases and pests, unpretentiousness. The easiest way to propagate the crop is by division, since growing seeds requires special care. In landscape design, the plant is given a special place, since in the same color scheme there is no peony more beautiful than Sunny Girl.
Reviews from gardeners about the peony Sunny Girl
