The beautiful peony stands at NYBG were made by Bob Keating’s Metal Works and you can order the supports from the manufacturer. It is important to note that the manufacturer ships his peony supports unpainted. They arrive with a black coating that is simply carbon from the forging process. Gradually, the carbon wears off and the supports begin to rust, eventually becoming a uniform, deep brown color that looks quite at home in the garden. While a gardener may panic when they begin to see the rusting process, it passes fairly quickly and once the supports achieve the uniform brown color they stabilize.

At NYBG, the supports have been painted with a coating of anti-rust paint but it requires upkeep that most home gardeners are not looking for.  The manufacturer suggests that you skip this annual chore and embrace the natural, brown color.

The NYBG Shop frequently has these supports available.You can contact them  to check availability.

Learn more about growing peonies in our Guide to Herbacious Peonies.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service