Peony Sarah Bernhardt (Paeonia Sarah Bernhardt) - how to grow

Peony Sarah Bernhardt is a decoration of any garden. Lush, bright inflorescences are held on strong, powerful stems, which practically do not bend under the weight of large flowers. Florists fell in love with this variety and have been growing it in their summer cottages for many years. This is one of the most popular peonies.

Peony Sarah Bernhardt (Paeonia Sarah Bernhardt) - what kind of variety, history of creation

Peony Sarah Bernhardt was bred at the beginning of the 20th century by French gardener Pierre Lemoine. He named this variety after the great actress. After some time, scientists from Moscow University adapted the flower to the Russian climate. In its form, this plant has become a standard and has received numerous awards at international exhibitions.

Actress Sarah Bernhardt - a variety named after her

Brief description, characteristic

Botanical description of the flower:

Belongs to the group of herbaceous peonies.
Stems are long, strong, about 1 m high, keep their shape well.
The leaves are decorative due to their delicate shape. After flowering, the plant looks great and complements any garden arrangement. With the arrival of cold weather, the leaves do not fall off and do not turn yellow, but acquire an interesting burgundy hue.
Flowers are solitary, do not form inflorescences.
Lush form. The flowers are double or semi-double, the diameter varies from 16 to 20 cm, but some specimens can reach 25 cm.
The color of the petals depends on the light and the flowering period: from light pink to crimson. There is a border around the edge of each petal.

Important! Flowering is long - lasts up to 6 weeks, but the buds bloom later than other varieties.

Peony flower Sarah Bernhardt

Advantages and disadvantages of Sarah Bernhardt variety:

Dignity	disadvantages
high decorativeness	late flowering
frost resistance	weak aroma
variety of hybrids
leafy stems look good until autumn

Use in landscape design

The variety is loved not only by flower growers, but also by landscape designers who use it to decorate parks, urban areas, squares, gardens, as well as large suburban areas. The peony looks gorgeous as a specimen plant - it will become a real king, will always play the main role, like the actress after whom he was named. Of the plants with which the flower will look best, there are:

barberry;
honeysuckle;
hellebore;
thuja;
poppy;
irises;
sage.

Also, a combination of several peonies planted in a row is often used, as well as a curb plant.

Paeonia Sarah Bernar in landscape design

Most popular varieties with gardeners

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Since the peony Sarah Bernhardt has gained immense popularity among flower growers over the long years of its existence, breeders did not stand aside.Interesting hybrids appeared, the most popular of which were Red, White and Unique.

Red Sarah Bernhardt

Peony Red Sarah Bernhardt differs from others not only by the color of the petals, but also by its persistent, bright, interesting aroma. Description of the variety:

flower colors can be very different from pale pink to bright red;
terry variety;
stem height up to 80 cm;
the diameter of the opened buds is on average no more than 15 cm;
leaves are openwork, saturated green;
are distinguished by high frost resistance and immunity to most diseases.

White Sarah Bernhardt

Peony Whait Sarah Bernhadt is a regular at wedding bouquets and ceremonies. This is due to its beautiful appearance: the petals are white, rounded and silvery at the edges. Leaves are bright green. The flowers are undemanding in care, they have enough nutritious soil and timely watering.

Sarah Bernhardt Unique

The variety has flowers of predominantly delicate, pastel shades: pale pink, lilac, possibly a combination with white petals.

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Despite the absolute unpretentiousness of this variety of peonies, you should pay attention to the observance of the rules of planting and care.

Peony milk-flowered Red Sarah Bernhardt

Planting by root cuttings

A root cut is a part of a rhizome that has an independent root and 1 or more eyes for growth. To apply this planting method, you must first select the planting material. Its preparation is carried out as follows:

Carefully, without damaging the roots, the rhizome of an adult peony is dug out. It is divided into small pieces, each about 6 cm in size. All pieces must have at least 1 bud and root.
For a couple of hours, parts of the rhizome are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate, then rolled in crushed charcoal and dried in the fresh air until a small crust forms (this will take 10-12 hours, you can leave it overnight).

After that, the planting material is deepened into the nutrient mixture by about 4 cm. The place in which the cuttings will germinate should be well lit. The substrate is regularly moistened.

Note! You can germinate root cuttings both at home and in the open field. In any case, shoots appear in the spring. They can be transplanted to a permanent place only in a year.

What time is the boarding

Planting of herbaceous peonies is carried out either in late summer or early autumn. The first flowers will appear only after 2 years.

Location selection

The area where the flower will grow should be well lit. Light shading is possible, which will protect from the rays of the scorching sun. Shaded areas are categorically unsuitable, peonies will neither bloom nor develop on them.

Sarah Bernard White (white)

How to prepare the soil and flower for planting

The flower loves the soil, which is simultaneously saturated with sand and clay. Places with low acidity are preferred. If the soil is too loose on the site, it is worth adding organic fertilizers to it, you can use humus.

Important! Do not allow swampy soil or too high groundwater level. This will lead to decay of the root system and the death of the bush.

If reproduction occurs by dividing the root, then the parts of the rhizome, which have 3-4 buds, are processed in a manganese solution or any other disinfectant. Places of cuts are sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

Planting procedure step by step

Planting peonies step by step Sarah Bernhardt:

A landing pit 70x70 cm is being prepared.
The holes are filled with a mixture of sand, gravel, compost, humus. Potash fertilizers and ash can be added as additional dressings.
The pit is filled with prepared soil mixture and left for about a month so that the earth is well compacted.
After this time, seedlings are set in the hole so that several stem buds are also deepened.
The soil is compacted and thoroughly watered.
From above, the soil is mulched with any natural material: peat, straw, sawdust.

On a note! Plants may not flower in the first season after planting, this is normal.

Seed planting

Seed planting is not recommended as Sarah Bernard's peony is a hybrid. This means that the daughter plant will not retain the properties of the parent plant. Undoubtedly, a new flower will grow, albeit after quite a long time, but it will be a different variety.

Sarah Bernhardt Unique

Plant care

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Caring for this unpretentious plant is quite simple. It boils down to elementary rules, the observance of which is within the power of even a beginner in floriculture. Moreover, if the place is chosen successfully, and the plant feels comfortable, it can germinate without transplants for several decades.

Watering and feeding

Top dressing is not required for the first 2 years after planting, the plant will have enough of those nutrients that were laid in the ground during planting. Starting from the 3rd year, flowers are fed:

immediately after the snow has completely melted (approximately in mid-April);
during the formation of buds;
at the end of flowering.

For feeding, special complex fertilizers are used. During flowering, it is possible to apply potash-phosphorus fertilizers, as well as a weak solution of chicken droppings. In the spring, you can add some ash to the soil.

All herbaceous peonies are fairly drought tolerant. This also applies to Sarah Bernhardt. It is enough to water adult bushes once a week. At the same time, from 20 to 40 liters of water is poured under each bush. This dose depends on the age, size of the plant, and weather conditions.

Mulching and loosening

Each time after watering, the soil is slightly loosened so as not to hurt the root system of the flower. You can replace this procedure with mulching.

Preventive treatment

Preventive treatment is carried out most often in early spring, even before the buds are laid. The peony is treated with fungicidal solutions. Bordeaux mixture will protect from pests (3 liters per 1 bush).

Peony Blossom Sarah Bernard

The flowering of the plant is very bright and expressive. A bright flower with large buds attracts attention and stands out against the general background.

Peony Blossom Sarah Bernard

A period of activity and rest

Sarah Bernard blooms later than all other varieties of peonies. Flowering begins in June and lasts up to 1.5 months. This is followed by a period of rest.

Care during and after flowering

During flowering, you need to observe the watering regime, you can feed the bush with potassium-phosphorus mixtures or special complex compounds. After flowering, be sure to remove all remaining inflorescences. Watering is reduced to 2 times a month. In the presence of precipitation - even less often. At the end of August, watering is resumed, since at this time the buds are laid for the next year.

What to do if it does not bloom, possible reasons

A young plant blooms the next year. If an adult plant is not blooming, you need to revise the rules of care. To understand if the place is right, to make sure of the level of acidity of the soil. It is possible that flowering does not occur due to an excess of nitrogen in the substrate. If the cause is identified, it must be eliminated.

Worth knowing! If the flower is planted in the shade, there is no need to wait for buds. The plant prefers well-lit places.

Peonies after flowering

After flowering, caring for peonies is also easy, it is enough to take the necessary care measures.

Transfer

A transplant is required when the old rhizome has already grown so much that there is not enough space for it. Then the plant is determined to a new place with the division of the rhizome. This will rejuvenate the flower and give it new strength for growth and development.

Pruning

It is very important to remove all wilted flowers, they can cause the development of many infectious diseases. Cardinal pruning of herbaceous peonies is carried out before wintering - the ground part is completely removed, only small parts of the stem of 15 cm remain.

Preparing for winter

Since this variety can winter at temperatures as low as -40 ° C, preparing for winter will not be difficult. The remaining stems are spud up to the maximum possible height.From above, they are covered with cut parts of an adult plant. No other cover is required. They will perfectly survive the winter frosts under a layer of snow.

Diseases, pests and ways to control them

Sarah Bernhardt has developed immunity to most infectious diseases. Protection is enhanced by preventive spring flower treatment. Avoid planting peonies next to potatoes or strawberries that attract pests. The damaged parts are removed, and the bush is treated with fungicides. When parasites appear, special insecticides will help.

Note! Fungal diseases occur most often with improper care, especially with shading and waterlogging of the plant.

The lactiflora peony by Sarah Bernhardt is an excellent choice for those who are planning to start breeding these beautiful flowers for the first time. Experienced flower growers and landscape designers should not lose sight of the variety. This is a gorgeous plant that looks gorgeous both on its own and in company with other flowers.