Hello, If the spots are really dark, then this could well be botrytis (its usually seen after a wet season), however if the spots are reddish, then I suspect the culprit is a paeonia blotch. How to treat the plant will depend on which one you are definitely doing the right thing by collecting the affected foliage in autumn. You can also help control them by using a suitable fungicide.

Helen

Hello, The most likely causes of this are insufficient light (if there is a tree nearby it may be blocking out more sun), not enough fertiliser (of using one that contains too much nitrogen, the foliage was removed too early last autumn, or a hard, late frost.

Helen

Thank you so much Helen - amazing! I'll send you photos of the finished results. Best wishes and thanks again, Kate

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Kate, It will be a little hit and miss as a lot will depend on the weather, but the following plants should be in flower around that time. Choisya ternata http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/choisya-ternata-/classid.825/ Osmanthus x burkwoodii http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/osmanthus-%C3%97-burkwoodii-/classid.4171/ Syringa http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.syringa/ Viburnum x carlcephalum http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/viburnum-%C3%97-carlcephalum-/classid.4460/ Convallaria majalis http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.convallaria/ Iris http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.iris/ Paeonia http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.paeonia/ Euphorbia palustris http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/euphorbia-palustris-/classid.2794/ Aquilegia http://www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.aquilegia/ Ceanothus Skylark http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/ceanothus-thyrsiflorus-skylark/classid.728/ and if we have a hot start to the summer a couple of roses or some of the earlier lavenders may have started too. I hope this gives you lots of ideas. Helen Plant Doctor

Kate Olivia Higginbottom

Hello Giovanna, Ideally these should be planted as soon as you receive them into fertile, moisture-retentive yet well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. I hope this helps. Helen

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Katharine, It was Paeonia Buckeye Belle - just click on the following link to go straight to it. http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/paeonia-buckeye-belle/classid.2000007631/ These can be planted at any time of the year as long as the ground is not too heavy and wet in winter. The best times to plant though are spring or autumn. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello there, These plants are starting to die back now and this is a natural part of their life cycle. The leaves will continue to deteriorate in autumn and disappear altogether in winter, then in the Spring the plants will put on lots of new, lush growth. Best regards, Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Simon, There are no hard and fast rules. You can see the eventual width of these plants on our site, which is between 80 - 90cm, so if you want to space them with small gaps in between you should aim to plant 1 per m2. If you don't mind them touching and intermingling, you can plant them closer. As for the depth, they do not really need to be grown in raised beds as long as the soil is good and does not remain waterlogged for any length of time. If the raised bed in going over soil, then the plants roots will work their way down into this anyway. I hope this helps. Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Hello Val, Herbaceous Peonies, should be left until they have died back and then lift and divide them in the autumn or early spring. I hope this helps.Helen Plant Doctor

Crocus Helpdesk

Paeonies can take a few years to establish and produce flowers, so I would not be too despondent. As for general care instructions, it all depends on what type of paeony you have - a tree paeony or a herbaceous type. If your paeonies still have a woody stem at this time of year then they are more than likely tree paeonies. The herbaceous paeonies die right down, so any foliage now would have collapsed due to the frosts The later need very little care. Do not prune the plants at all, but remove the dead foliage in autumn to tidy them up. In early spring apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser around the base of the plant and mulch with well-rotted compost or manure. If you have a tree paeony, you will need to treat it a little differently, but you will still need to remove the dead leaves, making sure the remaining stem remains intact. Depending on the size of the plant you have bought, they can take up to to four years to start flowering after planting. Sometimes a newly planted tree peony will appear to make very little growth in its first season, but all its activity happens underground as its energies are going into producing a good root system. Providing the foliage looks reasonably healthy, there is nothing to worry about and this may just be a 'settling in' period. Occasionally the main stem may die back a little. This might be a little worrying, but wait until the following spring when vigorous growth should resume from the lower part of the stem or even from below soil level. Tree peonies are heavy feeders and they respond well to a generous, early autumn top dressing of blood, fish and bone, a slow release organic fertiliser. Its high potash content encourages flowers to develop. A light sprinkling of a general fertiliser such as Growmore can be applied in the spring if you wish. They also respond well to pruning. Ultimately you should aim for a broad, multi-stemmed shrub of up to 120-150cm in height, which will not need staking. Chinese and American types have a naturally branching habit and will need less regular pruning than the Japanese and French types. While the plant is still young, don't be tempted to prune, apart from removing dead wood during the first two years to help get the plant established. After this if your plant forms a good shape, no regular pruning is needed. However, if your plant has few stems and is poorly shaped, then prune hard in late winter or early spring, just as the growth buds are swelling. This may mean that you sacrifice some flowers in the coming year. If this is a big issue, you can also prune it directly after flowering but the regrowth will be slower.

Crocus