It may only be March but one plant, the herbaceous peony, is already thrusting through the ground looking like red asparagus. It is one of the earliest perennials to appear because it flowers in May before almost any others.

But peonies provide more than early flower power. They also have fabulous foliage which blends especially well with roses. So if you are a rose-lover, the perfect support act is the herbaceous peony in all its forms.

The shorter cottage garden peony, Paeonia officinalis, has graced English gardens since medieval times and the single red form appears in 15th-century paintings.

The common double form ‘Rubra Plena’ probably originated in the 16th century and it is a great survivor in abandoned cottage gardens.

There was one at Spring Cottage when we arrived — along with a few Madonna lilies, lots of narcissi, and nothing else.

The cottage garden peony (P. officinalis) comes in red, pink, blush-white and white. The name ‘officinalis’ is an indicator that it was once used medicinally and peony is actually named after Paeon, who, according to Pliny, was the physician of the gods.

The roots were recommended for 20 different ailments in ancient Greece. So powerful were they, the roots could only be dug up at night lest a woodpecker pecked out your eyes.

Peony roots were also revered medicine for the Romans and they probably brought them to Britain. The round root of P. officinalis was used to treat ‘feminine’ problems and the long tapering root of the Paeonia mascula was, predictably, for ‘male’ illnesses.

However, by the time the Mayflower sailed in 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers were taking peonies for purely decorative reasons. Many survive in abandoned American homesteads.

Most of the handsome varieties we grow are bred (Paeonia lactiflora) and these Chinese peonies are mainly white, or pale-pink through to magenta. They are literally milky flowers — lacti-flora.

This peony arrived in 1784 when Joseph Banks was sent one by a German naturalist, Peter Pallas. It was taller and the foliage was better and it soon eclipsed the cottage garden peony in the style stakes. Many named P. lactiflora cultivars were bred in the 19th century, especially in France, and this is why some wonderful peonies have French names. ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ (bred by Calot in 1856) is a scented cream-white double and possibly the best of all.

Peonies reached the height of popularity in Edwardian times and one British nursery, Kelways of Langport in Somerset, raised millions right up until the First World War.

They were so popular the London to Penzance railway stopped at Peony Valley Halt during May and June so that passengers could disembark and admire the ten-acre field. You can still visit Peony Valley today — although the railway no longer obliges.

Kelways raised many. They include ‘Kelway’s Glorious’ (1909) a white with a yellow centre and the later ‘Kelways Brilliant (1928) — a magenta-purple with upright petals.

Kelways was once the largest nursery in the world, but the business flagged in the 1920s when large estates were broken up to settle death duties following the First World War.

The nursery limped on until 1995 when the site was ploughed up for housing. I visited just after its closure (expecting to find the nursery I had always wanted to visit) to find iris rhizomes and bits of peony root scattered over the ploughed soil.

But the arch bearing the Kelway name remained intact. I always regretted not picking up a few treasures. But the nursery was taken over and still survives on the edge of Langport and a full range of peonies and irises can once again be acquired by mail order.

Last year peonies appeared in many of the gold medal-winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. ‘White Wings’ was widely used for its single white flowers and glossy foliage. That show has reawakened an interest in this handsome long-lived flower and hopefully younger gardeners will now grow them. I currently grow a pale-pink double flecked with maroon called ‘Festiva Maxima’ (Meillez 1851). It fades to cream and reminds me a large clove-scented pink on stilts. I am also growing a cream-white double called ‘Shirley Temple’. I rescued it as it was being put into a dustbin lorry at Chelsea within seconds of it disappearing. This rescue item has extra charisma for me as it was free.

It is stiff-stemmed and self supporting, although I always stake all peonies. One shower of spring rain makes peony heads too heavy for their stems.

The secret of growing them well is not to plant them too deeply. The top of the crown should be no more than five cms (two inches) below the soil surface. They prefer a sunny situation and this also help flowering.

They will tolerate some shade but they produce fewer flowers. It is said that single peonies perform better in shade than doubles.

When planting, mix in some organic matter and add a handful of bonemeal and don’t be afraid to move them. I have several that have lived in various places over the years and I haven’t been attacked by woodpeckers!