By Thea Hegland

The time is now for soaking up the Paeonia season. This glorious flower of June is lush with riches; fragrant with soft silky petals, ranging in the many shades of pink, red and white. With over 35 varieties in The Gardens including the striking Japanese-form, ‘Sword Dance’ which bears bright pinkish- red flowers with yellow petaloids as well as many old classics including ‘Red Charm’, ‘Bowl of Beauty’ and ‘Festiva Maxima’. Regarded as an excellent cut flower, the embody of romance and prosperity, these beauties can be found amongst the floral arrangements on display in the Dining Room Restaurant as well as perennial borders throughout The Gardens.

Paeonia ‘Sword Dance’

Closely rivalling the Peonies is the eclectic collection of Iris grown here at The Gardens. More than 70 different varieties are found amongst the dynamic perennial borders, filling the gap between the spring show and the summer show of flowers. Most noteworthy is the deep dark purple, almost black bearded Iris ‘Superstition’ featured along the border near the Rose Garden.

One of the many Iris’ blooming

At this time, the gardening staff is in the midst of a frenzy of garden work – the spring show is rapidly being dismantled; the summer beds are all now in the process of being planted just as the Rhododendron blossoms begin to fade. All the Rhododendron shrubs will need to be deadheaded carefully by hand to ensure next year’s gorgeous flowers – time consuming, yet so very rewarding!

One of the remaining Rhododendron before deadheading takes place

Plants that are currently blooming

• Abutilon
• Alocasia (Elephant’s ear)
• Alyssum
• Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’
• Aquilegia (Columbine)
• Baptisia (False indigo)
• Begonia
• Brugmansia (Angel’s trumpets)
• Calycanthus 
• Centaurea montana
• Clematis
• Cornus kousa (Korean dogwood)
• Cosmos
• Crataegus (Hawthorn)
• Davidia involucrata (Dove tree)
• Delphinium
• Deutzia
• Dianthus
• Dicentra (Bleeding heart)
• Digitalis (Foxglove)
• Disporum (Fairy bells)
• Doronicum (Leopard’s bane)
• Epimedium (Barren wort)
• Eremurus (Foxtail lily)
• Fuchsia
• Fraxinus ornus (Flowering ash)
• Heliotropium (Cherry pie plant)
• Hemerocallis (Daylily)
• Hydrangea petiolaris (Climbing hydrangea)
• Illicium
• Impatiens
• Iris
• Kolkwitzia (Beauty bush)
• Laburnum (Golden chain tree)
• Lantana
• Lobelia
• Matthiola (Stock)
• Meconopsis (Blue poppy)
• Nectaroscordum
• Paeonia (Peony)
• Papaver (Poppy)
• Pelargonium (Geranium)
• Petasites
• Polemonium (Jacob’s ladder)
• Podophyllum (Mayapple)
• Poncirus trifoliata (Hardy orange)
• Primula (Primrose)
• Prostanthera rotundifolia (Mint bush)
• Rheum
• Rhododendron
• Rosa (Rose)
• Salvia
• Schizanthus (Butterfly flower)
• Spiraea (Spirea)
• Smilacina (False Solomon’s seal)
• Stachys marcantha
• Styrax japonicus (Japanese snowbell)
• Syringa (Lilac)
• Thalictrum (Meadow rue)
• Tradescantia (Spiderwort)
• Viburnum
• Viola
• Weigela
• Wisteria