Blog

Herbaceous peonies are considered winter-hardy to zone 2. There are gardeners growing peonies in hardiness zone 1a! So if your climate is very cold, go for herbaceous peonies. On this website, those are all peonies that don’t have “tree”, “woody”, or “intersectional” in the name. You can also use filters on the left of the page to select herbaceous peonies, as shown on the picture below. (Herbaceous peonies are those that die down to the ground in fall and come back bigger and better each spring, for many years).

Itoh, or intersectional peonies are considered to be winter-hardy to USDA zone 4. I am hearing they grow happily zone 3b, too, but that would be borderline.

Tree, or woody peonies:
Some less hardy varieties may lose branches to extreme winter temperatures in USDA zone 5 (-29 C or -20 F); some hardy varieties can survive in USDA zone 3b (−35 °F or −37.2 °C). We can provide the general guidance, but cannot guarantee winter hardiness of specific varieties in specific climates. When in doubt, go with a hardier variety and/or protect your plant for the winter.
Rockii hybrids and advanced lutea hybrids are more cold-tolerant than some other tree peony kinds, so these are good choices for colder climates. Winter-hardiness of specific tree peony varieties might not be readily known, as most of the tree peonies we offer are quite rare.

USDA temperature zones (source: Wikipedia)

Canada winter hardiness zones (source: http://planthardiness.gc.ca/)

Tree (woody) / Intersectional (Itoh) / regular garden peonies:
We all are familiar with pink, red, and white peonies growing in grandma’s house or across the street. These peonies are very hardy. They die to the ground for the winter and come back, even fuller, in spring. These are herbaceous peonies. Plant 1-2″ below the soil surface, in a sunny, well-draining (no water logging) location.
Woody, or tree, peonies are shrubby plants. They don’t completely die back for the winter, but leave woody stems. Flower size is often up to 8″, sometimes even bigger. They come in yellow, orange, white, purplish, red-and-white, and may have a very dark center. Woody peonies often grow to 3-4 feet at maturity (10 years), although some varieties may be 2 ft tall or grow to 7 ft or more.
Intersectional peonies, also known as Itoh peonies is something in-between. They grow to 2-3 ft and come in yellow, lilac’y, copper, and other unusual colours. Foliage of intersectional peonies dies back for the winter, leaving just a small woody stem about 2″-4″ high.

Planting: spring or fall? Peonies like to be planted in fall. They grow their thin feeder roots better in cool weather. Then they have more strength for the next year. Woody peonies need about 3 years to get established. “First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap”. You may get blooms the first spring after planting or, very likely, the second spring. However, it’s only by the third year that the woody peony is nicely established and full of blooms. Herbaceous and Itoh peonies may give a bloom or two the first spring, too, but if not, give them some time. Once the root establishes, the flowers will follow.
Halifax Perennials specializes in rare peonies. In the spring of 2021 we offer a few rare varieties that will be available only in spring. To help spring-planted peonies succeed, choose a planting site with morning sun and afternoon shade. That way the foliage will be receiving enough sunlight, but the roots won’t be overheated. (For fall-planted peonies, any sunny location is great: east, west, south). Remember to water your newly planted peonies for the first year, unless there was enough rain.

Peony planting depth: Herbaceous and intersectional peonies should be planted 1-2 inches deep (2″ in the Northern areas); planting them deeper will prevent them from blooming. Woody (tree) peonies that are grafted need to be planted deeper. The graft union (the place where the thicker, herbaceous root joins with the thinner, woody branch(es) of the tree peony) needs to be at least 4″ under the surface. In colder areas (Prairies) dig them in 6″ below the surface.

Choosing the location: All roses do well in a full sun location (6+ hours of sun per day). There are varieties that can be grown in part shade (4-6 hours of sun) or in bright shade (dappled shade throughout the day or a bright North-facing wall). If a rose is shade-tolerant, it is noted in our plant descriptions. (You can find the description by clicking on the rose in the catalogue).
Planting in shade: Shade-tolerant rose varieties can thrive with limited sunlight when their overall growing conditions are good. Give the rose more space than in a full sun location, feed it well, and remember to water it when required. In full sun roses may do well when some of the conditions are adverse. You may skip a feeding or a watering, but the plant will still be healthy. Some rose varieties bloom well in neglect, too! However, in shaded areas remember to provide the roses with proper rose-growing care, and they will thank you with their blooms.
Some climbing roses can thrive along a north-facing wall with just a couple of hours of sun per day!
Digging a planting hole: For better plant health and blooming, make a hole deeper and at least twice as wide as the root ball. Mix in good soil and some mature compost. Soak the mix really well prior to planting: make a mud pie mix.
Planting a potted rose: Water your rose well. Transplant as one piece, if possible, keeping all the soil around its roots. If kept in the pot for too long, untangle or cut off the roots spiralling inside the pot. The roots need to grow in all the different directions for better plant health. Spiralling roots slow the plant’s growth.
Planting a bare root rose: Soak for a couple of hours prior to planting. If severely dehydrated, soak it together with the stem. The rose will feel heavier after the soaking. Badly dehydrated roses have small chances of surviving, so avoid storing your bare root rose for longer than 24 hours. When absolutely necessary, store the bare root rose a short time in a cold, shaded area (or in the fridge) with roots tightly wrapped to prevent moisture loss. You may want to open the bag and spray some water on the rose’s roots every day.
After planting: Water the rose deeply once or twice a week. Like most garden plants, rose roots need air and water. So make sure the soil drains well and dries a little before watering again. Deep watering encourages roots extending deeper. Deeper roots will help the rose reach deeper for water in the hot summer days in future years.
Here’s a tip: For the first season, check the soil water content twice a week: with a small trowel or a stick, make a small wedge in the soil, about 2″ deep. You may find that the soil surface is dry, but underneath it’s still wet. If so, postpone the watering for a couple of days. On the other hand, often the rain sprinkling for a week is not enough to reach the roots. You may find that the surface of the soil is wet, but under the top half an inch it’s dry. In that case, give the rose a good, soaking watering, despite the rain.
Feeding: Top-dress with 2 inches of mature compost in spring and in mid-summer. If your preference is to use synthetic fertilizers, those can be added to the soil or water (as per manufacturer’s instructions) but cannot replace organic matter in the soil. Roses are heavy feeders, so don’t skip the compost.
End-of-season care: Here are a few facts. Feeding roses in late summer gives roses another growing boost, and the new branches may not have enough to harden off their skin before the winter. Trimming the rose in fall causes a similar effect; it has been compared to having a cup of coffee before bedtime. So try to avoid cutting rose branches close to the end of the growing season. The same holds for fertilizing roses late in the season.

Happy growing!

Bare root plants are stored in ideal moisture and temperature conditions over the winter. They arrive to us in temperature-controlled trucks. Once they are here, they are briefly stored in cool temperature while we mail them within a day or two.

Once you receive your bare root order (by mail or in person, in Halifax), open all boxes and bags to let the air in. Try to plant within a day, at most two. If your garden is not ready yet, have pots and soil prepared to temporarily plant your perennials.

Once outside of their ideal winter storage, dormant bare root plants sense that it is time to “wake up”. If not timely planted, they lose their health and strength, and may die. Some plants, like canna, peonies, lilies, and some others, can be stored in a cool location for about a week, if necessary; keep the bags open to let the air in, and check them every 3-4 days. Others, like hellebores, should be planted within a day or two of their arrival.