Content
- 1 Description of peony Sarah Bernhardt: photo and description, reviews
- 2 Features of flowering
- 3 Peony varieties Sarah Bernhardt
- 4 Application in design
- 5 Reproduction methods
- 6 Landing rules
- 7 Aftercare
- 8 Preparing for winter
- 9 Pests and diseases
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Reviews of milky-flowered peony Sarah Bernhardt
Peonies are flowering herbaceous perennials with an ancient history. Today they can be found in almost every garden. Peonies are common throughout the world, but are especially highly valued in China. 2000 years ago, only members of the nobility could grow these flowers. Currently, festivals and exhibitions are organized in the Celestial Empire in honor of this unrivaled plant. There are more than 5,000 varieties of peonies. One of the most beautiful is the Sarah Bernhardt variety. Peony Sarah Bernhardt is famous for its ease of care and incredibly beautiful delicate flowers of different shades.
Sarah Bernhardt is famous for her beauty and delicate aroma
Description of peony Sarah Bernhardt: photo and description, reviews
This unique variety appeared thanks to the efforts of the French breeder Pierre Louis Lemoine. The gallant Frenchman named his new creation in honor of the outstanding actress Sarah Bernhardt, whose beauty and talent the whole world admired.Wherever this peony is planted, it is always the center of attention, like an actor playing the main role on stage.
The plant is a herbaceous species with high decorative value. Large, beautiful flowers bloom on long, strong stems (about 1 m tall). The bushes look neat and retain their shape perfectly.
The leaves of the Sarah Bernhardt peony are also particularly decorative. Thanks to their openwork shape, they make the bush lush and unusual; with the arrival of cold weather, they do not turn yellow, but acquire an original purple color. The bushes do not require complex care, but they delight with long-lasting and very generous flowering.
Stems reach one meter
The plant is light-loving and frost-resistant (up to - 40 °C). It can grow in regions with different climates: from the central part of Russia to the Urals and Siberia. If the winter is mild, additional insulation is not required. Covering materials are used in severe frosts.
Features of flowering
Sarah Bernhardt blooms late, when its fellows are already fading. The bush produces double or semi-double flowers with concave petals. Their main distinguishing feature is their impressive size (up to 20 cm in diameter). Most often there are specimens with soft pink petals edged with a thin silver stripe. White and red specimens were also bred.
You can admire the flowers for more than a month
They look very impressive and, when placed correctly, create an original contrast. You can admire their beauty for 30 to 45 days. The attention of others is immediately attracted to the lush hats of the most delicate shades.If flowering is too abundant, the stems may still need additional support.
Peony varieties Sarah Bernhardt
Having received a unique plant, breeders try to develop several varieties of it. They all have different shades, but together they create a harmonious ensemble, striking in its brightness and beauty.
Peony Sarah Bernhardt Red
The Red Sarah Bernhardt peony rarely grows above 85 cm. The bright petals exude a subtle spicy aroma and look especially unusual against the backdrop of the deep tones of the leaves.
Terry variety with a wide range of shades: from pink to lilac and carmine
Peony Sarah Bernard White
White Sarah Bernhardt peony is used to create wedding arrangements. White petals with a lemon tint seem weightless and airy. Their diameter is only 15 cm, but they are distinguished by a variety of shapes (they can be spherical or resemble a rose) and have a silver border.
White Sarah Bernhardt is great for wedding bouquets
Peony Sarah Bernhardt Unique
The flowers resemble pink pearls that shimmer in the sun. Closer to the edge of the petals the shade becomes noticeably paler. There are also specimens with a purple tint. Peony Sarah Bernhardt Unique (pictured) looks equally impressive both in flower beds and as a cut flower.
Sarah Bernhardt's color is dominated by pastel shades
Peony Sarah Bernhardt Select
Gardeners' opinions about this variety vary: some consider it a separate variety, while others see similarities with Unique. This peony has not yet received wide distribution, so it is too early to talk about its characteristics.
This is Mr. X among the vast family of peonies
Application in design
Sarah Bernhardt peonies go well with many garden plants.It is better to match the “neighbors” in the flowerbed to the color, creating interesting contrasts. But flowers of approximately the same shades will merge into a “spot”. White Sarah Bernhardt peonies are usually combined with irises, sage, poppies, daylilies or bluebells. The deep beauty and mystery of red specimens will be highlighted by a well-groomed, smooth lawn. Pink peonies create complete harmony with thuja and barberry.
Peonies are combined with irises and poppies
The flower will not like the proximity of strongly growing plants. They will take away nutrients from the peony and block natural light.
Low peonies (45-60 cm) are suitable for growing on the balcony. However, the view can feel good on a bright and ventilated balcony if you create the most comfortable conditions for it.
Reproduction methods
There are three main methods:
- Seeds. They are collected from their own bushes, not fully ripe. Seed material is placed in open ground at the end of summer. At the first stage, they require warmth (from + 18 to + 28 ° C), and then the temperature should gradually decrease (to + 5-10 ° C). Plants may differ in characteristics from their parent specimens.
- By layering. This process is quite troublesome, so only experienced gardeners resort to it. The mother bush requires careful care so that shoots with roots form on it.
- Cuttings. The most effective and simple method. A healthy bush is dug up and cut off at a distance of about 10 cm from the root. Next, the roots are thoroughly washed and completely dried.Then they must be treated with potassium permanganate and kept in a Heteroauxin solution (at least 12 hours). Now you can plant the peony Sarah Bernhardt in the flowerbed.
Propagation by cuttings is the most effective method
Landing rules
The lifespan of Sarah Bernhardt peonies can reach 30 years or more. These plants require an ideal location. The first condition is a sufficient amount of soft diffused light. The second important point is the soil. The herbaceous peony Sarah Bernhardt feels best in slightly acidic soil with a high content of clay and sand.
Loose soil must be flavored with humus. Clay areas are dug up with the addition of sand. But swampy soils are absolutely not suitable.
In conditions of constant humidity, the roots of the plant will quickly die. The area must be cleared of weeds and fertilized.
Peonies should be planted in a well-lit place.
For planting, they usually choose self-harvested seedlings or those purchased from trusted nurseries. The best time is spring, when the thermometer will be stably at + 12 °C.
Sarah Bernhardt's peony planting scheme is very simple:
- Prepare a deep hole in advance so that a powerful root system can freely fit in it.
- Place drainage on the bottom and sprinkle it with organic fertilizer (loam + compost with a small amount of wood ash). Potash should be added to soil that is too acidic.
- The planting material is carefully placed in the hole and all the roots are straightened so that they lie freely in the ground. The buds are buried approximately 5 cm and carefully covered with earth. If the roots are too close or, conversely, far from the surface of the earth, the peony will not bloom.
- At the final stage, the bush is watered and the soil is mulched to conserve moisture.
If you plan to plant several bushes at once, be sure to leave a distance of at least 1 m between them.
Aftercare
Peony Sarah Bernhardt is an unpretentious plant. When setting buds, it is necessary to moisten the soil every 7 days, the rest of the time - less often. You can choose the right watering mode experimentally, taking into account the condition of the soil. Sarah Bernhardt peonies do not like drought or waterlogging. Each bush receives 3 to 4 buckets of water at a time.
Peonies require regular watering and feeding
According to reviews of the Red Sarah Bernard peony and other varieties of the variety, if all planting rules are followed, the first few years of feeding will not be required. Over time, fertilizers are applied only three times throughout the year. In the fall, superphosphate is used, in the summer, a solution based on bird droppings is used, and in the spring, it is enough to carry out the mulching procedure.
You also need to regularly weed the soil around the bushes and promptly remove dried flowers, otherwise they will cause the development of diseases.
Preparing for winter
Mid-October is the time to start trimming the stems. Stumps 10 to 15 cm high are left above the ground. An adult, formed bush survives the winter without shelter. Insulation is required for young plants, as well as in cold winters. To do this, use a layer of peat or unripe compost.
Pests and diseases
Peony Sarah Bernhardt is a plant with good immunity. Problems may arise from errors in planting or care. Most often it is unsuitable soil, high humidity, frequent replanting, and lack of nutrients. The most common pests that bother bushes are rodents and nematodes.12
Plants only get sick if they are not properly cared for.
With poor care, dangerous diseases develop such as:
- Rust. Appears as brown spots on leaf blades. Affected stems are immediately cut off and destroyed by fire.
Rust on bushes appears as brown spots
- Gray rot. Dangerous for young plants. An unpleasant gray coating appears on their flowers, stems and leaves. The best way to fight is preventative treatment with a garlic solution or Bordeaux mixture.
Gray rot affects foxes and buds
- Mosaic. The most dangerous of all ailments that cannot be cured. The virus is resistant to both chemicals and traditional methods. Plants must be uprooted and burned.
Mosaic on peonies cannot be cured
Conclusion
Peony Sarah Bernhardt is one of the most beautiful in the history of floriculture. Having seen it at least once, gardeners strive to grow this unusual variety on their site. A rich palette of shades, the original shape of the petals and ease of care have made it one of the most popular. Even a small yard will turn into a fairy-tale corner, decorated with spherical flowers that look like bright lamps.
Reviews of milky-flowered peony Sarah Bernhardt
