Paeonia lactiflora ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’

Raised in France by Crousse in 1888, ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’ has earned its place as one of the all-time classics. The enormous bomb-type double flowers are packed with ruffled rose-pink petals that catch a silvery sheen at the tips, and they carry a lovely soft fragrance.

It reaches around 90cm to 1m. The blooms are so generous that the stems appreciate support, so a peony ring put in place early in the season does the job neatly. Plant in full sun in deep, fertile, well-drained soil, with the buds no more than a couple of centimetres below the surface. Plant too deep and peonies sulk and refuse to flower.

Flowering comes in late spring and early summer. Peonies are long-lived and dislike being moved, so choose the spot well and they will reward you for decades. Superb for cutting, with strong stems and a long vase life.