While its quite normal for plants to droop a little over the season, if you have a particularly top heavy flower, it can be frustrating watching them dive towards the earth. Peonies are classic blooms for this sort of thing: their blousy, beautiful flowers can often overpower their stems. There are plenty of ways of stopping your peonies from drooping down, and peony supports are a good place to start.
If you’re interested in a bit of DIY, head to our piece on how to make your own plant supports, but if you don’t have the time, and you like the trend for metal rusty peony supports, then below is our list of our favourite peony supports.
Don’t forget: while rusty plant supports are a classic at the moment, it’s best to choose whichever you think will work best in your garden. Think about whether you want to make a feature out of the plant supports, or whether you want the peony to be the main attraction. You don’t want your chic plant support detracting from the beauty of the peony in question.
Good plant health, not overcrowding and the correct depth of planting is the key to keeping peonies from toppling over but if you are still suffering from peonies that fall over, here’s our list of the best peony plant supports.
The best peony supports for the garden
Natural rust metal three leg peony supports
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.05.47-ae7e49b.png?quality=90&resize=568%2C376" "\"\"")
We love the classic, three leg rusty design of these peony basket supports. They have a flash of exuberance with the balls at the ends of the legs, but the rusty metal means they aren’t too showy and won’t show up your peonies. These support rings are 79cm high by 50 cm in diameter and the idea is to grow through them, so plant them over your peonies when they are small. These come in a set of two and they will rust naturally over time in the garden: much better than if the rusting time has been sped up by chemicals. Plant in the ground and push down until secure, but always watch out for where your plants are, to avoid hurting them.
Bow plant supports for peonies
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.09.55-f82fc81.png?quality=90&resize=557%2C413" "\"\"")
These are a good option for discreet peony supports, plus ideal if you have a long border full of peonies all of which are prone to drooping. You can use as many as you need and place them in front of your peonies so they act as a support wall. These come in a pack of 9, which are 60cm high and 30cm wide. These are plastic coated solid steel, coming in at dark green, so they will be particularly difficult to see against the foliage of your peonies. There are five different sizes, however, and so lots of different plants can be supported and the supports can also be bent gently, if needed, to support your plants in the best way possible.
Garden pride peony plant cage
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.12.05-d09a9c9.png?quality=90&resize=472%2C413" "\"\"")
You can buy these peony cage plant supports either in plastic coated or raw steel, that is designed to rust. These are heavy duty peony supports, and will easily keep even the heaviest of blooms happy and upright. Coming in a pack of one, they are 62cm tall but there is an option to buy a 92cm high one, if you have particularly tall flowers. These are a solid, sturdy, no-nonsense option.
Trumpet peony support
- Buy now from Harrod Horticultural (£39)
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.14.56-0646c8c-1.png?quality=90&resize=530%2C413" "\"\"")
If you’re looking for a peony support with a design flourish, look no further than this trumpet peony support from Harrod Horticultural. Bang on trend, these plant supports are dearer but they will look lovely in your garden borders. The shape of them will add to the allure of the plants themselves and they come with a five year guarantee. These have also been featured on Spring into Summer with Alan Titchmarsh, who rates them highly. They come at either 60cm or 90cm high and have been manufactured in the UK.
- Buy now from Harrod Horticultural (£39)
Double ring plant support
- Buy now from Waitrose (£15.99)
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.16.34-10258d1.png?quality=90&resize=597%2C413" "\"\"")
This is a nice alternative on the usual peony support design, with two rings at the top, rather than one at the top and one in the middle. These are solid steel and uncoated, which means they will rust when they are left outside in the garden. The balls at the end are designed to make them safer from children and pets. The small option measures at 63cm with the large one measuring at 82cm.
- Buy now from Waitrose (£15.99)
Thompson & Morgan herbaceous peony support frame
- Buy now from Thompson & Morgan (£19.99)
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.19.51-0b1b43f.png?quality=90&resize=609%2C413" "\"\"")
A classic peony and herbaceous plant frame design, which supports stems as they grow. These are smaller than several of the other options on this list, coming in at 45cm high, with a width of 35cm. These aren’t a rusty option, and instead are classic metal and easier on the wallet than several options here.
- Buy now from Thompson & Morgan (£19.99)
Heavy duty naturally rusty plant supports
- Buy now from UK Garden Supplies (£27.99)
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.21.06-624c776.png?quality=90&resize=595%2C413" "\"\"")
Designed to rust evenly and quickly and naturally over time, these rusted peony supports come as a five leg, although you can also buy a three leg option. Manufactured in Yorkshire from solid steel rod these should be very long lasting. There are a few height options, one at 72cm and one at 54cm, depending on how high your plants are.
- Buy now from UK Garden Supplies (£27.99)
Fluted peony supports
- Buy now from Agriframes (£37.99)
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.23.29-0a30711.png?quality=90&resize=562%2C413" "\"\"")
These no-frills options are lovely and discreet, letting the flowers and plants do their thing and don’t draw attention to themselves. One of the dearer options on this list, you can choose from rusty brown or sage green, which again, is a nice discreet option. The wide top encourages the flowers to face upwards rather than droop and the metal is galvanised solid steel. The green is a polymer coating. The small is 63 cm high.
- Buy now from Agriframes (£37.99)
Basket peony supports
- Buy now from Etsy (£45)
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.25.20-09ff804.png?quality=90&resize=496%2C413" "\"\"")
We love this alternative riff on the classic peony support design. The solid steel option is handmade and comes in at 60cm high and 55cm wide, with the bottom hoop being 40cm wide. They are a very sturdy, long lasting option, and versatile too: if you have other herbaceous plants then you can use this support for them too.
- Buy now from Etsy (£45)
Bulb and peony support
- Buy now from Crocus (£44.99)
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/18/2022/08/Screenshot-2022-08-30-at-16.28.05-7e21621.png?quality=90&resize=570%2C413" "\"\"")
This is something a little more classic for those of you with peony support needs. Different to the usual rusted metal finishes, this peony support is pewter and should work for tulips, peonies, perennials and more. The 7mm steel rod is bent into an attractive curved design and has a protective clear coat. It measures at 39cm high. A lovely one for bucking the trend.
- Buy now from Crocus (£44.99)
Don’t miss our round up of the best plant supports.