Peonies - beautiful lush flowers of the genus of herbaceous perennials. They are loved by gardeners and florist because of the lush foliage, bright flowers, long flowering. Plants have many varieties - over five thousand. One of them - the pion called "Sarah Bernard" will be discussed in this article.
Peony story
This beautiful hybrid variety has an interesting origin history. He was brought by the famous breeder from France Pierre Louis Victor Lemoine. It is the masterpieces of the hands of this professional - many varieties of peonies and lilacs - today are classics of landscape art.
Leading among the many species of peonies are herbaceous, tree-like and narrow-leaved varieties. Also, medicinal peony is popular for its medicinal properties.
Why in 1906 Pierre Lemoine named the newly bred variety after the name of his famous countrywoman, actress Sarah Bernard, one can only guess. Most likely, he, like many intelligent French, attended performances where an outstanding actress played, and was struck by her play and beauty. Therefore, I wanted to give her name to one of the most beautiful varieties, bred by him personally. 
Like the brilliant Sarah, the peony, named after her, always attracts attention, even if it is in the company of other flowers, and is a standard of garden art. For its decorative qualities, the flower was awarded the English Award of the Garden Merit the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). And today, the pion variety "Sarah Bernard" flower growers and breeders rank among the best pink varieties.
Did you know? In Chinese culture, the pion began to be actively used during the rule of the Qin and Han dynasties (about 200 BC). However, it could not grow anyone who wanted, but only the rich citizens of China. It was forbidden for ordinary Chinese to do so..
Botanical description
Getting acquainted with the peony "Sarah Bernard" begin with a description of the variety. is he late maturity - Flowers appear at a time when most of the varieties have already flowered. Blossoms "Sarah Bernard" plentifully. The flowers are large, with a diameter of 20 cm, single.
Kept on long (up to a meter in height) strong stems resistant to lodging. Petals in flowers semi-double and terry. The main color characteristic of the variety is light pink with a silver border. Today, also displayed copies of white, red, cream, yellow color. The duration of flowering peony is about a month and a half. 
The peculiarity of this variety is that he does not turn yellow leaves, and remain beautiful throughout the summer, to the fall of the crimson. They are the same as flowers, large, dissected, openwork. In color - dark green. The plant tolerates winter cold. For its comfort and survival, it will only be necessary to cut the leaves in the fall.
In landscape design, Sarah Bernard peonies are used in ridges and mixborders. They are planted alone and in groups. Use under cut and in flower compositions.
Where to plant a peony
Peony is distinguished by its simplicity. It is said that it can grow without problems and special care for 30 years, and some centenarians generally up to 80. But in order to maximize the decorativeness of the grassy peony, it is necessary to observe certain requirements and satisfy the plant’s preferences during planting and care.
Effectively look against a beautiful lawn. You can also create a continuously flowering garden: in spring a bush of peonies will be decorated with galantuses, irises, crocuses; in summer - astilbe, lily, pelargonium, godecia, zinnia, petunias, and in late autumn they will be replaced by phloxes, asters, chrysanthemums.
Lighting and location
Peony - a plant that loves the light. Therefore, for his landing should choose a well-lit area where the light shadow can fall only at noon. If you plant a bush in the shade, it will deny you the pleasure of admiring its flowers - it will simply not let them out. 
Soil type
The best soil for planting will be low acid loam. If clay predominates in the soil in which you plan to plant the grassy Sarah Bernard peony, then sand must be added to it. In the case of the predominance of sand you need to make clay.
Soil with a high pH level before planting a flower needs to be limestone in order to achieve optimal acidity (300-350 g / 1 sq. M). Moist, swampy, acidic soils, and close groundwater occurrence are taboos for planting pions.
Did you know? In Greece, they believed that the peony can help with 20 diseases, so it must be grown in the courtyards of all monasteries. Until the beginning of the 19th century, this plant was used only as a medicine and as a seasoning for food.
Planting pattern and breeding rules
Peony is most often propagated cutting, dividing the bush and layering. The most simple and effective - the division of the bush, which should be carried out in August and September.
To propagate the pion in this way, the bush must be excavated. Then cut off at a distance of 10 cm from the root. Wash the roots well under running water and place in a dark place for drying and germination.
For landing you need to select the delenka, which has two or three buds and root up to 10-15 cm long. Before being placed on the soil, it will require disinfection. First you need to put it for half an hour in a container with garlic solution or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
After that, the division for 12 hours should be placed in a solution of “Heteroauxin” (1 tablet / 10 l of water). After removing the planting material from the solution, it should be dried well, and the sections should be covered with charcoal. And only after that you can proceed directly to the landing.
At the bottom of the landing hole to put the sand. The delender is deepened into it so that the distance from the buds to the ground is no more than five centimeters (two or three fingers), too deep or too weak a recess may be the reason that the plant refuses to bloom.
Planting material sprinkled with earth and well watered. In order for the plant to successfully overwinter, it must be mulched with a 5-7 cm layer of peat. In the spring, when red shoots appear and grow a little, mulch can be removed. Since peony bushes tend to spread widely, the distance between the landing holes must be at least one meter.
When transplanting to a permanent place, a cube-shaped pit is prepared 60 x 60 x 60 cm. More than half of it is filled with soil mixture, which is prepared from peat, earth, sand, humus. All components are taken in equal proportions.
The pit is fertilized with bone meal (0.5 kg), double superphosphate (0.4 kg), iron sulphate (one tablespoon), wood ash (1 l), potash (one teaspoon). The empty part of the pit is covered with garden soil. Landing slightly compacted and plentifully watered.
The first flowers after transplantation should be expected two years later.
Important! Landing and transplanting peony should be done only in the autumn.
Proper care of the variety
Peonies require almost no care. The main activities that need to be carried out with them are watering, weeding, loosening the soil, fertilizer, cutting for the winter.
Since the stalks of "Sary Bernard" are strong, they do not fall, nailed down with sediments. Therefore, unlike most other varieties, garter and support do not need.
How to water
Frequent watering pion is not needed. During periods when his buds are tied, active growth occurs, and it will be enough for the plant to receive water once a week during flowering. The rest of the time you can water less frequently.
Watering should be abundant - three or four buckets on one bush. It is advisable to water in the evening so that water droplets do not provoke burns on the leaves and petals. After irrigation should be loosening. 
How to fertilize
If the plant is planted in the right soil in accordance with all the recommendations, then in the first year, and for several subsequent years, it does not need fertilizers.
In the future, peonies will need fertilize three times a year: in spring, summer and autumn. In mid-June, the bushes will need to be fertilized with a solution of mullein or bird droppings (3 liters per bush).
In early autumn, superphosphate will need to be applied to the ground (one tablespoon per bucket of defended water). One bush will require one fertilizer bucket. In spring, the soil should be mulched with a centimeter layer of peat or other mulching material and applied to wood ash.
Care activities will also be required. regular weed control, removal of flowering inflorescences and pruning of stems and leaves for the winter.
Important! Care must be taken to timely remove the flowering inflorescences, otherwise, remaining on the bush, they can provoke the development of fungal diseases..In late autumn, leaves and stems must be cut, leaving hemp 10-15 cm tall. Adult plants do not need shelter.
How to deal with difficulties
Of the difficulties that can be grasped by peony breeders are diseases and the absence of flowering. The main reasons, as a rule, lie in the wrong care or landing. Let's see what these problems may be related to.
Diseases characteristic of peonies are rust, gray mold, ring mosaic.
The spread of the first disease contribute to thickened landing, combined with rainy weather. Gray rot usually attacks young specimens when they enter the active growth phase. It affects the leaves, stems and unblown flowers. First, a gray patina forms at the base of the stem. Later, it turns darker, softens and eventually falls to the ground. 
In order not to allow this disease to its peonies, in early spring the bushes and the soil in the forest zone must be treated with Bordeaux mixture (3 liters per bush). You can also try to use folk remedies - treatments with garlic solution (one shredded head for 2 liters of water). Spraying should be done in the phase of the appearance of the kidneys and two weeks after the first treatment.
A rather serious disease of peonies is rust. Skip her symptoms will not succeed - it is brown spots on the leaves, which, as a rule, are formed after flowering. Such leaves will need to be cut and burned. Prevention will be in the same activities as with gray rot. 
Mosaic - A viral disease that is not treatable. It is shown by light green spots and yellow stripes on the leaves. Infected bushes must be removed and burned. 
The reasons for the fact that pions are missing flowering may be several:
- unsuccessfully selected landing site - the bush will need to be transplanted to a plot corresponding to the preferences of the plant;
- planting too large delenok with a small number of roots that can not cope with the task of feeding shoots. You can solve the problem by new division and transplanting anew;
- frequent transplants and divisions - the plant should be transplanted and divided no more than once every four to five years;
- improper fit - too deep or too superficial;
- The bush has a solid age - it must be divided;
- too sour soil;
- insufficient fertilization;
- potassium deficiency in the earth;
- gray rot infection or prolonged wet weather;
- insufficient watering;
- damage to the roots by the pest nematode or rodents - in the first case the plant is not subject to further cultivation;
- The plant has picked up a viral disease - it must be uprooted and burned.
Modern forms
Peonies "Sarah Bernard" displayed several colors and shapes. The most famous are the flowers of red and white colors.
Pion "Sarah Bernard Red" produces buds slightly smaller from its progenitor - about 15 cm in diameter. Yes, and the height of the bush does not exceed 85 cm. 
However, he has such a bright crimson-red color and such a pleasant aroma that he certainly attracts attention in the first place. The leaves have dark green, openwork. This hybrid belongs to the flowers of the middle late flowering period.
Pion "Sarah Bernard White" gives a beautiful white fragrant flowers. The buds he has are different in shape - from spherical to resemble roses. The diameter of the flowers is small - 15-17 cm. On the peduncles usually there are two or three buds. The bush is blooming late. 
It blooms in May - June, abundant and long. The bush grows on average up to 80-90 cm. The leaves are medium in size and have a dark green color. Peony "Sarah Bernard" white is characterized by high winter hardiness and resistance to most peony-related diseases.
If you are now in search of the required grade of pion, then we advise you to pay attention to the “Sarah Bernard”. A lush, attractive bush is sure to decorate any area and will delight its owner with a beautiful, bright and long flowering for more than one decade. Its advantages are in rich colors, unpretentiousness, high winter hardiness and abundant flowering.
