Peony Highlight (Highlight)

Plants with inflorescences of rich, deep tones are the best fit for decorating a home flower garden. They give the atmosphere that reigns in it, a mysterious character. The Highlight peony variety, known to mankind for more than half a century, is ideal for the role of such a culture.

History of creation and description of the variety

This variety of the king of flowers appeared in 1952 in the United States. Breeder Auten Edward worked on her breeding. Specialists from the floriculture company Wild Gilbert H. & Son also took part in the creation of our hero. Highlight is an intraspecific variety derived from p. Lactiflora.

The culture belongs to herbaceous milky-flowered peonies of medium late flowering period. Its large, double, hemispherical flowers are eye-catching. In diameter, the inflorescences reach 20 cm. Dark red with a brown, almost chocolate tint, dense, curved petals have a beautiful glossy shine. In the buds, they adhere tightly to each other, which is why the yellow stamens are hidden inside the flower. The inner petals are narrower than the outer ones. Small white pistils have stigmas of a pale pink hue. On the stems, inflorescences are formed in an amount from one to three in the first half of summer. The smell of flowers is pleasant, sweet, but not intense.

The shoots of the herbaceous peony are strong, from 75 cm to 1 meter in height. However, Highlight's stems lack strength, so they are able to deform under the weight of flower caps. In addition, the bush itself can fall apart during flowering. For this reason, he needs a support in the form of a ring and a tie. The foliage is dark green, trifoliate, carved, retaining its decorative appearance until autumn. Perennial flowering is characterized by incredible splendor. The variety is intended for cultivation in hardiness zones 3 and 4 (according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)). It does not freeze when the thermometer drops to -40 ° C.

Features of growing and care

For normal growth and development, the plant should be placed in the sunny area of ​​the site. However, it is worth taking care that during the midday summer heat the culture is in openwork partial shade. The soil for planting a peony is selected moderately moist, loose and nutritious, with a neutral reaction. An increase in the acidity of the soil is prevented by pouring wood ash under the bush.

It is recommended to plant a perennial in spring, in April, or in autumn, in September, before the onset of frost. When digging, the holes adhere to a width and depth of 50-60 cm. A distance of 1 meter is observed between the plants. The preparation of the planting pit also consists in laying a layer of drainage material at the bottom, introducing humus. Then a little earth is poured, a seedling is lowered into the hole, the roots are straightened and covered with the remaining soil. As a result, the Highlight renewal buds should be 4-5 cm below ground level. At the end of the procedure, the bush is watered abundantly.

The Highlight flower definitely needs regular watering, feeding, weeding and loosening the soil. To moisten the earth under a perennial, settled water at room temperature is used. The icy liquid is a source of stress for the plant. An average of 1-2 buckets of water are spent on one peony at a time. A day or two after watering, the soil under the crop is loosened and mulched to prolong the presence of moisture in the soil.

A bush with luxurious inflorescences is fed, starting from the second year of life. In the spring, nitrogen is used for this purpose, in the phase of bud development and 10 days after the end of flowering - a complete complex fertilizer. In the year of planting, the plant is not allowed to bloom, for which all the buds are removed. This is done to give him the opportunity to gain strength and increase the leaf mass.

With the arrival of stable autumn frosts, the shoots of the culture are pruned. They are removed, leaving a low stump no more than 4-5 cm in height. It is not necessary to shelter an overseas handsome man due to his excellent endurance.

To prevent pests and diseases, the crop should be sprayed several times over the summer with a solution of a fungicide and an insecticide.

Use cases

The Highlight variety is appropriate for any type of site. It will be an excellent decoration for both a large garden and a more compact front garden, both a flower garden and an ordinary yard. This culture must necessarily be present in the pionarium - a separate garden where exclusively flowering peonies of certain varieties are placed.

In group plantings, the decorative perennial perfectly coexists with roses, spicy herbs, fragrant annuals, conifers, irises, bells, lilies, honeysuckle, sedum, phlox, phytolacca, badan, initial letter, geychera, primrose, violets, carnations. When choosing decorative flowering crops for the role of companions for this shrub, give preference to specimens with buds of contrasting shades (white, cream, pale pink), as well as scarlet, red-purple, cherry color. Our hero looks great in rockeries; borders bordering garden paths; ridges and mixborders, in single plantings against the background of a green lawn. If you want to see Highlight as the central figure of the garden composition, plant shorter crops around the shrub: for example, primroses, cuffs or daisies. When planting a variety in a flowerbed of continuous flowering, combine the peony with spring galanthuses and crocuses, tulips and daffodils, summer zinnias, astilbe, pelargoniums and dahlias, autumn chrysanthemums and asters.

Almost burgundy inflorescences on strong peduncles are suitable for cutting. Bouquets and other floristic compositions decorated with the use of Highlight are of particular magnificence.