Paeonia lactiflora Inspecteur Lavergne

Paeonia lactiflora Inspecteur Lavergne, in the same vein as the Chinese Peony Felix Crousse, is recognised for its very large anemone flowers of a fairly pure dark carmine pink, slightly tinged with raspberry. Each one is composed of a corolla of wide petals surmounted by a large pompom of small ruffled petals. This variety, easy to grow, is among those that bloomed faithfully in gardens of the past, providing very beautiful flowers for flowerbeds as well as informal bouquets - the beauty of the flowers is accompanied by strong stems with impeccable posture, which can be enjoyed in both settings. Easy to grow, Chinese Peonies thrive in any loose and rather moist soil, in the sun. Robust and faithful, they sometimes take a little time to establish themselves, but they develop year after year and can live for more than 50 years, outlasting the one who planted them.

Chinese herbaceous peonies mainly come from Paeonia lactiflora, a perennial herbaceous plant native to central and eastern Asia (from eastern Tibet, northern China, to eastern Siberia), where it naturally grows in woods and meadows. This plant belongs to the Ranunculaceae or Paeoniaceae family.

The Inspecteur Lavergne variety is an old French creation dating back to 1924. From spring onwards the plant forms a herbaceous and bushy clump, moderately dense, reaching 85 cm (34in) in all directions. Its very large double flowers appear rather late in May-June, depending on the climate, for about two to three weeks, at the tips of the stems. They emerge as a large dark pink bud and then unfold into a skillfully disordered pompom placed in the centre of a crown of larger flattened petals, of the same very bright carmine pink, barely tinged with brown. The centre of the flower is darker, and the edge of the petals touched with pink. The vegetation of this variety is quite airy, and it has remarkable longevity. The young purple and shiny foliage unfurls into large, dark green, finely cut leaves. They are carried on a petiole that divides into 3, with lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate segments. The leaflets are entire or sometimes lobed. The vegetation disappears in winter, while the buds persist at ground level and will develop in spring. This very perennial plant grows from a large fleshy root that does not appreciate being moved.

Peonies are among those plants that form the foundations of a garden. In the past every garden, from the humblest to the most elaborate, proudly displayed clumps of peonies that made their way into the house, keeping lilacs and bluebells company in bouquets. Opulent and generous, beautifully fragrant, the Inspecteur Lavergne Chinese peony thrives in flower beds or along pathways, associated with timeless and unpretentious perennials such as dark blue irises, columbines, bellflowers, perennial geraniums, carnations, or Christmas roses. It can also be grown in the vegetable garden to supply cut flowers for the house. Growing it in a pot is not recommended, as its needs will not be met. Over time, the peony becomes majestic and blooms more and more abundantly, producing up to 60 flowers. By combining different varieties with staggered flowering times, it is possible to have flowers for 6 weeks from spring to early summer.