At Binny Plants in Scotland, nurseryman Billy Carruthers specialises in peonies with a range that combines the best of modern hybrids with tried-and-trusted old cultivars
IN BRIEF
What Nursery producing a wide range of grasses and herbaceous perennials with a large collection of peonies.
Where West Lothian in the Sottish Lowlands.
Size A one-acre walled garden with four acres of land beyond the walls.
Soil Inside the walled garden, a slightly acidic silty soil; outside the soil is heavy clay.
Climate A few miles from the sea at an altitude of 137m, the climate is mild and wet. Within the walled garden the climate is much warmer.
Hardiness zone USDA 8.
The appeal of novelty is as strong in the garden as it is in other areas of life. New hybrids or recently selected forms of plants are always presented as superior in some way. This chronological snobbery can push some excellent plants that have been around for years off the garden-centre shelves, but top-notch nurseries always manage to strike a perfect balance between welcoming the new and preserving the old.
Peony specialist Binny Plants in Scotland offers a mixture of both modern hybrids and tried-and-trusted old cultivars. Owner Billy Carruthers believes that to produce outstanding plants, modern breeders need to be able to call on the best of the older cultivars. Preserving these “bloodlines”, as Billy calls them, is important not only so that we can continue to grow reliable hybrids that have proved their worth over decades but also to ensure that these plants are available to future plant breeders.
Billy set up his nursery in an old walled garden east of Edinburgh nearly 30 years ago, specialising in herbaceous perennials and grasses. “The big task back then was evaluating how well plants do in Scotland. At the time, most of the gardening literature was focused on growing conditions in the south of Britain. We found that there are many plants that do well down south and struggle in Scotland – and vice versa.”
Billy hasn’t always been a nurseryman – he used to run record shops in London – but his interest in plants dates to his childhood in Glasgow. And his favourite was the peony. “My mother had one in our garden and it flowered every year on my birthday,” he says. “I would run home from school every day to make sure that it was going to flower for my birthday. That was the start of the interest.”
The peony his mother grew was Paeonia officinalis ‘Rubra Plena’ (now called Paeonia x festiva ‘Rubra Plena’). “This is the peony that everyone and their granny used to grow,” explains Billy. “It is probably one of the worst ones to grow. It behaves so badly: it always flops over and loses all its petals after a couple of days.”
When Billy realised that not all peonies behaved so badly, he began to look for plants with the qualities he still values: a good strong stem, so it doesn’t need staking; side shoots, as this produces more flowers and extends the flowering season; and a good flower form combined with a healthy and vigorous plant.
Billy’s peony collection now encompasses hundreds of hybrids from breeders around the world. His favourites are those introduced by Professor A Saunders, who was breeding peonies during the first half of the last century in upstate New York. “He produced beautiful hybrids of incredible quality,” says Billy. “And a lot of the most popular peonies sold today have a Saunders hybrid in their pedigree.”
In general, Saunders’ peonies are strong growers, disease resistant and with single or semi-double flowers. He steered away from the blousy flowers that appeal to some breeders. Billy has spent years tracking down Saunders’ introductions and is currently planting a bed of 30 known as the Lobata Hybrids. These are hybrids of Paeonia peregrina, a species from eastern Europe and western Asia. “They are all strikingly beautiful plants and together will look marvellous,” says Billy.
From the very first moment in early spring when their shoots push through the soil with an energy that is full of promise, herbaceous peonies are beguiling. Often these new shoots are the colour of beetroot and are perfect companions to scillas, dwarf narcissi, miniature irises and other spring bulbs. Once in flower, peonies need space to show off. “They are tough plants that will push others out of the way, but if they are swamped, they will neither look good nor thrive.” After flowering, their foliage provides a background for later-flowering perennials or, for example, the domes of euphorbias. Billy likes to grow lilies among peonies or to soften the dense foliage with columns of feathery grasses.
Billy has focused on collecting rather than breeding peonies. “It takes years to develop a new peony. I’m too old to start that. You need to be young to have a chance to see them flower. I’m content to extend the collection and enjoy the ones already created.”
USEFUL INFORMATION
Address Binny Estate, Ecclesmachan Road, Uphall, West Lothian EH52 6NL. Tel 07753 626117. Web binnyplants.com Open Daily, 10am-4pm.
Growing peonies
Billy has three main pieces of advice for growing healthy peonies
The crown of the plant should be just 2.5cm or so under the soil and no more. In very warm gardens you can get away with having the crown at soil level but in general it should be just under the soil.
Peonies must never dry out between April and September. It is a big (and common) mistake to imagine that after flowering peonies do not need attention. This is the period that they will be building energy for the following year’s buds and so should be kept well watered.
Most hybrids need an open, sunny situation to thrive. The exception are plants with dark-red flowers where a little dappled shade will prevent scorching of the petals. Some species peonies, notably P. emodi and P. mairei, will grow well in shady conditions but it depends on location. In Scotland, say, you should always avoid shade but in sunnier and warmer parts of southern England hybrid peonies can take shade but will be less floriferous than when grown in full sun.
1 Paeonia ‘Mahogany’
A very popular hybrid with sumptuous mahogany-red flowers that have a slight sheen on the petals. Growing in light shade will prevent scorching of the petals. 80cm†.
2. Paeonia ‘Scarlet Heaven’
One of the highly collectable intersectional peonies that are a cross between herbaceous and tree peonies. Its scented flowers have intense crimson petals, and each bloom is around 15cm in diameter. By mid-May the plant is covered in them. 80cm.g of the petals. 80cm .
3. Paeonia ‘Honor’
A Professor Saunders hybrid with large, saucershaped flowers that have a sweet, honey perfume. The weight of the flowers can cause the plant to flop so it is advisable to support the stems as they emerge. 90cm.
4. Paeonia ‘Etched Salmon’
One of Billy’s favourite peonies, the density of petals makes for a voluptuous flower. It even has a soft, sweet perfume. The tall stems mean that it is popular as a cut flower. 90cm.
5. Paeonia ‘Lovebirds’
Another Saunders hybrid with pale-pink petals so delicate they could be made of tissue paper. These delicately scented flowers belie this peony’s vigour and strong, upright stems. 80cm.
6. Paeonia ‘Merry Mayshine’
An eye-catching Saunders hybrid with luminous scarlet flowers that have a centre of golden stamens. It has dissected foliage from one of its parent species, Paeonia tenuifolia. 75cm.
7. Paeonia lactiflora ‘White Cap’
Despite its name, the outer petals are a deep raspberry and the frilly centre resembles raspberry ripple ice cream. The flowers grow on strong stems above the foliage. 80cm.
8. Paeonia lactiflora ‘Jan van Leeuwen’
A popular cultivar with simple, elegant, silkywhite, fragrant flowers. Despite the delicate-looking flowers, this is a tough, vigorous plant with a reputation for being easy to grow. 90cm. AGM*.
9. Paeonia ‘Color Magnet’
Since its introduction in the mid-1990s, this hybrid has won many awards and become popular with gardeners and cut-flower producers. Side shoots produce an abundance of flowers. 90cm.
10. Paeonia ‘Rose Garland’
A compact, bushy plant with glossy foliage that is smothered in rose-pink flowers. Introduced by Saunders in 1943, it has remained popular ever since. 75cm.
11. Paeonia ‘Postilion’
Bright and bold, the deepscarlet flowers can get to 20cm wide, making this a flamboyant peony. One of Saunders’ early introductions, the flowers resemble a water lily. 90cm.
12. Paeonia ‘Moonrise’
One of Billy’s favourite peony hybrids, this was introduced by Saunders in 1949 and has since become the parent of many hybrids. The ivory flowers are among the earliest peonies to open. 90cm.
13. Paeonia ‘Red Red Rose’
Professor Saunders chose well when he named this hybrid. The flowers, which have a satin sheen, are the red of roses, poppies and pillar boxes. To maintain the colour, grow in light shade. 85cm.
14. Paeonia ‘Soft Salmon Saucer’
There is nothing flashy about this hybrid. The cup-shaped flowers with subdued soft-pink flowers are demure and charming, a feeling enhanced by a slight sweet fragrance. 90cm.
*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Most hybrid peonies have a hardiness rating of RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.