Peony

Peonies are among the most beautiful plants we can grow in our gardens, be they the elegant single flowered wild species, the sumptuous doubles of our June herbaceous borders, or the tree peonies celebrated in Chinese art over the centuries.   The HPS Peony Group is a specialist group of the Hardy Plant Society formed in 1987; it exists to stimulate more informed interest in growing all types of peonies and to bring together enthusiasts worldwide.

Members have a wide range of interests from species in their wild habitats, through herbaceous cultivars, modern and historic, to tree peonies. They range in expertise from beginners to long established experts. The Group is a good way for people to build their knowledge in a friendly environment. A newsletter is posted to members in Spring and Autumn. This keeps us up to date with recent developments in the ‘peony world’. Articles are very wide-ranging including trips made to other countries looking at peonies, nurseries and gardens, news on peony collections, updates on peony research, practical advice on sowing, growing, and flowering peonies, and help with identification.
The autumn newsletter carries a list of seeds donated by members for the seed exchange. This is currently only accessible to members within the United Kingdom.

We have members around the UK and overseas. The Peony Group AGM and Peony Day is held in different locations around Great Britain each year to try to make it accessible to as many members as possible. We combine the necessary business of the AGM with talks on peonies and visits to see peonies in flower to make a really enjoyable day. The members’ plant sales table is always a great draw having not just peonies, some of them not available commercially but many other lovely plants too.

2015 Newsletter: Peony-nl-Oct-15

Activities

2024 AGM and Lecture Day

Sunday, May 12th 2024
The HPS Peony Group AGM for 2024 will be held at Spetchley Park, Spetchley, Worcester, WR5 1RS
After the AGM, the main speaker will be Lady Skelmersdale talking about species peonies: a study of this fascinating genus both in the wild and in gardens – from the mountains of China to USA via Europe. Lady Skelmersdale has made many trips to see peonies in the wild. She has run Broadsleigh Bulbs for over 40 years, has been on many RHS committees and holds the Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH) the RHS’s highest award for services to horticulture. Species peonies are one of her passions and there is a large collection of peonies at Broadleigh. There will be both members’ plant sales and plants brought by Lady Skelmersdale. After lunch (bring a packed lunch or use the Granary Coffee Shop), there will be time to explore the gardens. There are many peonies in the gardens, we should see the tree peonies in flower.
Details:
£16.00 for HPS Peony Group members, £18.00 for HPS members and £20.00 for non-HPS members. This includes tea/coffee/biscuits on arrival and garden entry. Please bring your own packed lunch or use the on-site Granary Coffee Shop.

FULL DETAILS and Booking Form in the event listing below or click here.

2023 AGM

The Peony Group AGM 2023 and talks will be held at Strathbrock Community Centre, Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland EH52 5LH (map) on Saturday, June 10th 2023.

After the AGM the lecture will be given by Billy Carruthers, on “My favourite peonies”. Billy is the owner of Binny Plants and long-term peony aficionado. He is particularly fond of the peonies bred by Professor Saunders but has been growing and selling peonies of every sort for thirty years. Billy was also on the recent RHS peony trials panel.
Billy’s talk will be followed by a short talk by Caroline Stone “The Falkland Palace peonies”. Falkland Palace has a garden, designed by famous gardener designer Percy Cane around 1947, part of which was a peony walk. The peonies survive and are an amazing time capsule.
There will be a plant sales table at the AGM. Please do bring plants for sale. It has been decided that this should be on the basis of either a full donation of the sale to the HPS Peony Group, or a 10% donation of the sale price – your choice. Please bring a list of what you have brought for sale with its price so the calculation can be made at the end.
In the afternoon we will visit Binny Plants in nearby Ecclesmachan. The nursery is in what used to be the old, walled kitchen garden of the Binny Estate and is lovely place to visit. Aside from a wide range of peonies, tree, herbaceous and intersectionals, the nursery has an extremely good range of herbaceous plants to buy.

Details:
£10.00 for HPS Peony Group members, £12.00 for HPS members and £14.00 for non-HPS members. The booking form is available here.
Doors open at 10.00 am, with the AGM starting at 10.30 am and the first talk expected around 11.15 am. If you have any questions email Caroline at peony@hardy-plant.org.uk or ring 01566 785706

Directions:
Strathbrock Community Centre is located within the Strathbrock Partnership Centre in the town of Broxburn in the east of West Lothian. It is just off the A899 which runs through Broxburn and Uphall. Binny Plants is two miles away just before the village of Ecclesmachan. Further details will be sent to members after booking.

2022 AGM

HPS Peony Group AGM and Peony Day, Sunday May 29th 2022

The Peony Group AGM 2022 and talk will be held at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, nr. Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 0QA (map) on Sunday, May 29th 2022.

After the AGM the speaker will be Dr Richard Gornall, “Making Sense of Peonies: their biology and evolution”.  Dr Gornall is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology and Director of the Botanic Garden and Curator of the Herbarium at the University of Leicester.  His talk will present an overview of peony biology and will focus on how we go about understanding the evolutionary relationships of the species.  In order to do this, the challenge of interpreting patterns of variation and the perceived mysteries associated with the recent use of DNA will be stripped away and explained in an easy-to-understand fashion.  The talk will offer an update on where we are in our current understanding of these matters in Paeonia.

After lunch David Jewell, former Superintendent at RHS Wisley and current Head of the Plant Collections at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens will lead us on a guided tour of the gardens. With 180 acres and very good collections of magnolia, rhododendron, camelia, oaks and may other plants David will show us the highlights including of course their peonies.

There will be a plant sales table at the AGM. Please do bring plants for sale. It has been decided that this should be on the basis of either a full donation of the sale to the HPS Peony Group, or a 10% donation of the sale price – your choice. Please bring a list of what you have brought for sale with its price so the calculation can be made at the end.

There is a restaurant and several cafes on-site for those wanting to buy lunch.

Details:
£13.00 for HPS Peony Group members, £15.00 for HPS members and £16.00 for non HPS members.
The booking form went out with the Autumn newsletter and is also available to download here

Doors open at 10.15am, with the AGM starting at 10.45am and Dr Gornall giving his talk at 11.30am. If you have any questions email Caroline at peony@hardy-plant.org.uk or ring 01566 785706

Directions:
The gardens are two miles north-east of Romsey at Ampfield, and are accessible from either the nearest railway station, Romsey (2 miles away) or Winchester Station. The no 66 bus runs between Romsey and Winchester stations and passes the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens. There is also a cycle route from Romsey.

2020 AGM

HPS Peony Group AGM and Peony Day, Saturday June 13th 2020    CANCELLED

The Peony Group AGM and talk will be held at Welton Village Hall, Lincolnshire, LN2 3LU.

After the AGM the speaker will be Jo Bennison, of Bennison Peonies talking on ‘The Itoh hybrids and other A-list peonies’.
In the afternoon we will visit Bennison Peonies, where plants can be ordered to be supplied bare root in the autumn, followed by a visit to Brightwater Garden, an 8 acre Twenty-first century garden with shrub and herbaceous planting, including peonies and roses, a small lake and arboretum.

Details: £12.00 for HPS Peony Group members, £14.00 for HPS members and £15.00 for visitors.

2019 AGM

AGM and Peony Day Sunday, June 2nd 2019

Birtsmorton Court, Birtsmorton, nr. Malvern WR13 6JS

By kind permission of Mrs Rosalie Dawes, the Peony Day will be held at Birtsmorton Court. It is difficult to imagine a more delightful location. The medieval moated manor house is set off by romantic gardens full of roses and peonies. The White Garden  is very special and the topiary hedges are an impressive sight.

Main speaker: Susannah Applegate on  ‘James Kelway and his beautiful peonies’

10 .00am: Registration, tea/coffee, plant sales, peony-themed raffle

10.30am: Peony Group AGM

11.00am: Susannah Applegate: ‘James Kelway and his beautiful peonies’

Lunch: bring your own packed lunch, which can be eaten at tables in the courtyard by the AGM venue.

After lunch we will be able to enjoy the lovely gardens of Birtsmorton Court.

Cost:  Peony Group members £11.50,  HPS members £13, visitors £15

2018 AGM

Peony Group Study Day and AGM June 9th 2018

This year we met at the Hillside Centre, RHS Garden, Wisley.
After the short AGM there was a talk by Caroline Stone on ‘I had a dream…how a passion for peonies began’.

The afternoon programme included an introduction to and guided tours of the RHS Peony Trials, propagation demonstrations, and short talks.

Specialist peony nurseries were present as well as our members’ table.

There was no charge for the event.

2017 AGM

The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the HPS Peony Group took place on Sunday 14th May.

Our AGM was followed by a lecture from Jeanine Lemmens from the Belgium Nursery Graefswinning.  She and her partner specialise in peonies.

The Peony – a Precious Landscape Plant’ by Jeanine Lemmons.

It will consider what makes a good plant for landscaping, not just the ‘fluffy’ aspect that many people fall for, but plant habits over the 3 growing seasons that make particular varieties particularly useful, with how they are bred and chosen etc.  It will include tree peonies but will have a broader scope across the genus.  She will try and bring a selection of flower heads in season.

2016 AGM

The 2016 Peony Day took place on Sunday 19 June 2016 at Claire Austin’s Nursery, White Hopton Farm, Wern Lane, Sarn, Newtown, SY16 4EN

Seed Exchange

The Peony Group operates an annual seed exchange, whereby members donate surplus seeds, both species and cultivars; ‘tree’ and herbaceous. A nominal fee is charged for administration. Members often report back with interesting articles and photographs in the newsletter with news of their successes.

Membership

Subscription

UK: £5.00, two people at the same address: £6.00
Overseas: £6.50 (payable in conjunction with the annual HPS subscription)

Join this group online by visiting our Shop.

A subscription form is available to download here. peony-group-membership-form

For more information about the HPS Peony Group, please contact Caroline Stone on 01566 785706 or email peony@hardy-plant.org.uk

Membership is open to all members of The Hardy Plant Society.