PlantAdvice.co.uk

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. Single cup-shaped white flowers on strong flower stems.

• 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.