Prized for their big, 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. 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.

Paeonia '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.

All of our peonies are field grown. We supply potted plants throughout the year, and subject to availability during the dormant winter months, we also offer bare-root plants (or tubers). If buying a potted plant, please keep in mind that some of the compost may still be a little loose, falling away when the plant is removed from the pot.