Supporting Peonies — The Hildene Star

Last year when we bought a new home I inherited several gorgeous peony bushes. They produced beautiful showy blooms in shades of pink and white.

I had used heavy-duty tomato cages for supports but the plants grew so big that as soon as it rained the weight of the blooms caused the branches to bend over the edges of the wire cages damaging them.

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This year I have a new plan for supporting my peony plants. This is called a Hildene Star used a Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, Vermont. The formal garden boasts over 1,000 peony blooms and its caretakers strive to keep the garden looking as natural as possible.

These simple supports blend into the foliage and allow the blooms to shine. I'm thinking that if this plan works for them it will surely work for me. Here's what you need to know.

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1. Begin with five garden stakes, preferably bamboo. Place them equidistant around the cluster of peony plants when the plants have produced the first buds. 

2. Connect the stakes with natural jute or garden twine to form a star. Wrap jute at each stake so that the jute is taut.

3. Wrap the jute around the circumference of the stakes wrapping the jute around each stake as you go to form a circle.

Because the Hildene Star provides sections for individual branches it provides more support than a traditional peony cage or tomato cage that only provides support around the perimeter.