Paeonia 'Paula Fay'

Paeonia 'Paula Fay': Shocking Pink That Jumps the Queue

'Paula Fay' is shocking pink and not even a little bit sorry about it. Rows of semi-double petals around a yellow centre, opening early in peony season. HOT PINK, STRAIGHT TALK.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Paeonia hybrid
• Common Name: Garden Peony
• Height: 90 cm (3 ft)
• Spread: 60 cm (2 ft)
• Flowers: Semi-double, shocking pink with several rows of petals around a yellow centre
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June); early in the peony season
• Foliage: Glossy, mid-green, on an upright clump
• Features: Strong upright stems

Where to Plant: Plant it where an early hit of colour is welcome: the middle of a sunny border, along a walkway, or in a cutting bed. Because it opens early, it's a smart way to stretch your peony season. The sturdy stems make it a good cut flower.

Companion Plants: Geranium 'Rozanne' is a natural partner, spilling violet flowers around the peony's feet from June right into September. Achillea 'Peter Cottontail' adds clouds of small white blooms at 45 to 60 cm, a soft foil for the big pink flowers. Finish the front with Platycodon 'Astra Blue', a compact 20 to 25 cm balloon flower with blue blooms through summer. Together they pick up where the peony leaves off and keep the colour going until fall.

Plant Care: Choose a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil. Plant with the eyes no deeper than 5 cm (2 in) below the surface, or it may sulk and skip blooming. Water well through the first season. Once settled, it's tough and long-lived. The strong stems usually stand on their own, though a ring helps in a very exposed spot. Deadhead after bloom to keep it tidy. Cut the foliage down in fall and clear it away. Leave the clump in place for years. If you must divide, do it in September.

History: 'Paula Fay' was registered in 1968 by the hybridizer Orville Fay of Illinois, who named it for his brother's wife. It's a second-generation hybrid raised from 'Bravura', and it received the American Peony Society Gold Medal in 1988.

Final Thoughts: Strong upright stems, deer resistant and loved by pollinators. Plant it next to something pale and enjoy the contrast. NO APOLOGIES ISSUED.