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Hillary Peony is a beautiful hybrid flower that was bred not so long ago, but has already managed to gain popularity. It is great for growing in front of the house or for decorating the garden plot. At the same time, it requires minimal maintenance and easily adapts to a new place.
Description of the peony ITO hybrid Hillary
Ito peonies are a hybrid plant that was obtained by crossing different varieties of herbaceous and tree peonies. The first positive results came from the Japanese agronomist Toichi Ito, whose name the new hybrid received. Its main advantages are an unusual beautiful yellow color, lush foliage and a long flowering period.
Variety “Hillary” was bred in the mid-90s. 20th century and combines the best qualities of parent plants.
Peony Hillary (Hillary) is a voluminous bush with dense foliage up to 90-100 cm high. Its stems are very strong and thick, they can bend slightly under the weight of flowers, but do not fall to the ground and do not require additional support.
After transplantation, the plant grows very quickly, but begins to bloom no earlier than a year later.
The roots, like most peonies, are sprawling in the Hillary variety and are located in the upper layers of the soil. As the bush grows, the roots become stiff, therefore, the older the plant, the harder it is to transplant.
Peony leaves are dense with carved edges of rich green color. They form a so-called “cushion” around the peony, which protects the root system from sunlight and helps retain moisture in the soil.
Lush peony foliage remains green until the coldest
Peony “Hillary” refers to the sun-loving plants, so when planted in a shady place, it may not bloom.
The variety is highly frost-resistant, it can be grown in the middle lane and Siberia. It is also common in North America, Europe and Asia.
Features of flowering
The flowers of the Hillary peony are semi-double in structure, very large, reaching a diameter of 16-18 cm. The petals are straight, slightly indented. Their color can vary from deep pink to a delicate pinkish yellow. In this case, the color is heterogeneous, with a color transition and inclusions. During flowering, it can change – the outer petals turn pale, and the middle remains bright.
Ito hybrids were obtained by crossing lactic-flowered and tree-like peony
The flowering time of the Hillary peony is medium early, the duration is about a month. The flowers do not bloom at the same time, but gradually, so that peonies of different shades can immediately be on the bush. In total, about 50 buds open per season.
For the abundant flowering of the Hillary variety, good lighting plays an important role, in the shade it blooms much weaker.
Application in design
Peony “Hillary” is great for decorating garden beds. It goes well with lilies, irises, as well as undersized forget-me-nots and stonecrops. But still, peonies look best when planted separately from other flowers, when nothing distracts attention from their beauty.
Peony bushes look very beautiful in open areas.
Also, the Hillary variety looks good along the tracks.
Peony is suitable for garden zoning
You should not plant a peony near the walls of buildings or near tall trees, as the flower does not grow well in the shade.
It is not recommended to plant Hillary peonies too close to each other or to plants with a developed root system, as they may not have enough nutrients.
As for growing on balconies, undersized varieties are usually used for this. But you can still grow the Hillary peony. An important condition is that there should be enough space in the pot or flowerpot for the growth of roots.
Methods of reproduction
The only suitable way to propagate the Hillary peony is to divide the bush. If you try to propagate a plant with the help of seeds, the result will be a flower with completely different species characteristics.
When dividing a bush in the spring, it should be remembered that the Hillary peony will quickly grow, but the root system will not have time to reach the desired size to provide enough moisture. In this case, it is necessary to establish regular watering and protection from direct sunlight.
Dividing in the fall allows the root system to get strong enough for the onset of frost to survive the winter. It is held in August or September. First, the isthmus is cut with a sharp knife, and then the roots are carefully separated. The parts should be approximately the same and have 3-5 buds.
When dividing, you need to act carefully so as not to damage the roots.
Immediately after separation, the roots are treated with a fungicide to avoid possible infection, and then the peonies are planted in the ground.
Rules of landing
It is best to plant in late summer or early autumn, so that the plant has time to adapt to a new place and gain strength before the onset of cold weather.
Since the Hillary ITO hybrid peony grows in one place for a long time, special attention should be paid to the choice of a landing site. This variety prefers warm places protected from drafts. It should also be borne in mind that the earth should not be too wet, therefore, the proximity of groundwater should be avoided.
Peony “Hillary” does not like shade – it should not be planted near buildings and tall trees.
Landing is done as follows:
- First you need to prepare a large hole 50-60 cm deep and 90-100 cm wide. Pour gravel or sand at the bottom to about 1/3 of the depth to create drainage.
- Add organic fertilizers (ash, humus), sprinkle with earth to the middle and leave for a week so that the soil settles.
- Place the peony in a hole so that the buds are at a depth of about 5 cm.
- Cover with soil or a mixture of humus, sand and earth in equal proportions.
- Compact the soil around the flower, water and mulch.
If all conditions are met, the peony will take root well in a new place, but will begin to bloom no earlier than a year after planting.
Aftercare
Although the Hillary peony is unpretentious, it is still worth following certain rules for caring for it, especially at first.
Care for this variety is as follows:
- watering – it is important to regularly moisten, while avoiding the accumulation of water. If, with a lack of moisture, the flower becomes less lush, then its excess can lead to rotting of the roots and subsequent death of the plant;Advice! During the period of heavy rains, when it is impossible to control the humidity, it is recommended to add special agents to the soil that prevent rotting (for example, Alirin).
- top dressing – in the spring it is useful to apply organic fertilizers, before the flowering of the Hillary peony it is good to use nitrogen, and closer to autumn – potassium-phosphorus mixtures;
- regular loosening – contributes to the saturation of the soil with oxygen, and also helps in the fight against weeds;
- mulching – allows you to protect the roots that are close to the surface, and also retains moisture and nutrients.
It is better to transplant peonies in the fall, not in the spring.
The first year after transplanting, the Hillary peony may look lethargic, but with proper care, the plant quickly recovers.
Preparation for winter
In the autumn, plants need top dressing, which will help them survive the winter and help lay the buds for the next season. Potassium-phosphorus mixture is used in dry or liquid form. When applying fertilizers, 25-30 g of the mixture is poured under each bush after watering. If you take the solution, then you need to make sure that it does not fall on the leaves (this can lead to burns).
In late autumn, when severe frosts begin, ITO peonies are cut off, leaving stumps 2-3 cm high. Cut places can be sprinkled with ash.
In autumn, peony pruning is carried out so that the stems do not rot.
Variety “Hillary” has good frost resistance, so it does not need shelter for the cold season. The only exceptions are planted specimens – they are recommended to be covered for the winter with spruce branches or pine needles.
Pests and diseases
Peonies are very resistant to various diseases and pests, but still there are those that are dangerous for flowers.
The main diseases of peonies:
- rust – orange or red-brown voluminous spots appear on the leaves, consisting of spores. When such formations appear, diseased leaves should be cut off and burned, otherwise the spores will be carried by the wind and infect other plants. The peony itself must be treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture;
- gray rot – a dangerous infection that affects all parts of the Hillary peony. External manifestation – gray bloom and brown spots on the leaves and stems. The disease spreads very quickly and leads to the death of the bush. When the first symptoms appear, the infected parts must be removed and burned, and the peony should be treated with a fungicide;
- mosaic leafc – a virus that manifests itself by the appearance of light green spots or stripes on leaf plates. The disease is not treatable, so the peony with signs of infection must be destroyed;
- verticillium wilt – most often manifested during the flowering period. At the same time, the peony outwardly looks healthy, but begins to fade. The infection enters the plant. You can detect it by the darkened vessels on the cut of the stem. It is impossible to cure the disease, so the affected bush is burned, and the ground is treated with bleach.
Also, the Hillary peony can also suffer from some pests:
- ants – they are attracted by the sweet syrup that forms on the buds. At the same time, they eat leaves and stems. To get rid of the invasion, it is necessary to treat the bush and the ground around it with repellents;
- gall nematode – affects the roots, forming growths on them, in which the worms hide. It is impossible to get rid of them, so the affected peony must be pulled out and burned, and the ground treated with bleach.
Conclusion
Hillary Peony is an unusual variety with bright flowers and lush green foliage. It is very unpretentious, does not require special care, tolerates cold well and is highly resistant to diseases and pests. At the same time, it looks very impressive on the garden plot, having a long flowering period.
Peony reviews Hillary
