Paeonia lactiflora Oslo (Patio Peony Series) - Dwarf Peony

The Patio Peony Oslo is a horticultural variety of Chinese Peony selected for its compactness, making it a perfect patio and terrace plant, producing splendid flowering pots. It flowers very early, beginning in the second half of April, depending on the climate and lasting until May. It produces large single flowers, of a pink tending towards magenta, which Anglo-Saxons rightly call cranberry rose, named after the small fruits of the blueberry family. The centre of yellow stamens further enhances the beauty of the floral corollas. It can also be grown in open ground in the garden; it appreciates sunny exposures and preferably moist yet well-drained soils. Its hardiness is beyond question.

The Peony, Paeonia in Latin, formerly classified among the Ranunculaceae, now has its own family, the Paeoniaceae, of which it is the sole genus. There are fewer than forty species, herbaceous or woody, including Tree Peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa), so prized by enthusiasts and collectors. The Chinese Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) is a perennial plant native to a wide area stretching from Southeast Siberia to Northeast China, which explains the excellent cold resistance of this plant. It forms a clump approximately 70 cm high, whose foliage completely disappears in winter. In spring, the buds located at ground level reactivate and regrow the aerial part, leaves and flowering stems. Cultivated for hundreds of years in China initially as a medicinal plant, the Chinese Peony was introduced to Europe around 1784 and had its heyday in the late 19th century.
The Patio Peony range is the result of selection work by a Dutch nursery and currently includes eight varieties of hybrid Chinese Peonies with limited development, intended to be planted and maintained in pots to adorn patios. Oslo is the most compact in the series, measuring 45 to 50 cm in height and as much in width. It forms a dense clump of deeply cut leaves with elliptical to lanceolate lobes, with a pointed tip. These leaves are dark green with a matte to slightly satiny surface. This dark vegetation truly serves as a setting for the pink flowering, tending towards magenta red, creating a strong contrast. This is further enhanced by the golden yellow centre, formed by the stamens and pistils of the same hue. The large cup-shaped flowers are of the single type and measure 8 to 10 cm in diameter. The dimensions of this variety are ideal for growing in a decorative pot, in which it will attract all eyes in spring from late April. If you plant it in the ground, its crown will gradually widen each year, so choose its location carefully from the start, as it dislikes being transplanted.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Patio Peony Oslo' is a true gem for ornamenting a terrace or patio. In the garden, you can also happily integrate it in the foreground of a varied bed or in an English-style mixed border. The small blue flowers of Brunnera sibirica (Siberian Bugloss) will harmonise well with those of your small Peony, as will the tiered flower spikes of a White Candelabra Primrose (Primula japonica 'Alba'), two plants that will allow you to create a contrast in form, size and colour. Also remember that, however superb it is, your Peony's flowering will not cover the entire summer, so pair it with plants with staggered flowering times, such as Daylilies whose star-shaped flowers will bloom all summer.