Now, here’s the dirt on look-a-like roses and peonies for 2024!
It can really be an overwhelming kind of excitement to have to choose which flowers to plant in your garden. Roses and peonies are the most common finds, with their large, sumptuous petals, which bring along a flush of romance associated with them. The floral world is huge; you may find something rather similar to favorite flowers, only probably in a different color, scent, or season.
I’ll outline many flower varieties that are known to possess the beauty of roses and peonies in this article, so you will have a varied selection for your excellent 2024 garden or floral arrangement.
The Appeal of Roses
For generations, roses have been the classic flowers of gardens everywhere. They come in so many amazing colors and types that are fit for most garden styles. Let’s face it — roses can be a bit high maintenance if you are not looking. Sometimes you just need some other flowers with that same dreamy feeling but minus all that hassle. Look no further than these beauties.
1. Gardenias Gardenia jasminoides
The gardenias are just somewhat the same with roses. They have a kind of romance with creamy-white, fragrant flowers. Waxy leaves and thick foliage give them a nice backdrop, kind of like a rosebush, really. They are hot-weather plants; their smell is magic – golly.
2. Camellias (Camellia japonica)
Camellias begin blooming from early spring, often showcasing large rose-like flowers in pink, red, and white. With their shiny leaves, they are really classy and fit for any garden. Besides, camellias are about the easiest plants to care for and can handle a bit of shade, too. This lets them thrive in different types of settings.
3. Crape Myrtles (Lagerstroemia)
Yeah, crepe myrtles have these neat clusters of ruffled flowers, kinda like roses. All of them come in pink, lavender, and white, hence very good choices to really make the color around many a garden pop. Plus, it shows off some beautiful foliage in the fall and can be pretty drought-tolerant.
4. Hellebores (Helleborus)
Hellebores are more commonly known as the “Lenten Rose” in deep shade colors that develop tints in clusters, which truly resemble the roses. Their surrounding shade permits space for color to come into view from late winter through early spring, when most gardens are dormant. Their form, along with the richness of coloration, adds a sophistication to the cooler weather gardens.
5. Dahlias (Dahlia spp.)
Dahlias—chiefly in ‘Café au Lait’ or ‘Pompon’ varieties—are so full of petals and so symmetrically layered that in many instances they resemble a rose. Available in various varieties, they extend in color and size to bring vibrancy and texture to any floral design or garden bed.
The Allure of Peonies
People absolutely love peonies—probably due to those big, fluffy blooms. That short time it’s in bloom really makes gardens pop during late spring to early summer. But if you want some of those flower options that have the fancy peony vibe but their own kind of flare:
1. Paeoniaceae Family Members
Members of the Family Paeoniaceae That’s the cool thing about being a peony family: there are several types of different shapes and colors. For instance, say, a kind of hybrid I referred to as an intersectional peony or an Itoh peony—a very robust tree peony structure with some regular peony vibes. Typically, these large central flowers have anemone-like petals, which totally sets them apart.
2. Bouvardia (Bouvardia spp.)
The bouvardia flowers are tubular, pretty cool, and have clusters of star-shaped blooms. The most common colors are reds, whites, soft pinks. The way they bunch up has really made it look like peonies, but with that, it gives its uniqueness and bold vibe to the bouquets. And they smell good, too; that really invites pollinators.
3. Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum)
Lisianthus flowers have cool, ruffled edges and come in so many great colors that people just love to use them instead of your average peony. You can find both single and double blooms which look full like peonies, but they also give off a more understated vibe that’s perfect for bouquets and arrangements.
4. Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus)
Ranunculus flowers have this cool layered petal thing going on like peonies, but with a twist of bright and varied colors. These pretty little flowers can make super lush, romantic arrangements that totally bring the peony bouquets to mind, especially in gardens or floral displays.
5. Anemones (Anemone coronaria)
Anemones have these super cute, rounded petals on these skinny stems, kind of giving off a peony vibe but still totally their own thing. They come in bright colors, which can really boost floral arrangements, making them pop while still looking like those classic flowers. Flower Combinations and Garden Design Mixing some alternative blooms that mimic both roses and peonies gives a playful, colorful flair to a garden. Check out how to make each of these flowers work together for the biggest wow in your garden with our tips:
- Color Coordination: Take a color wheel, and just slap some flower combos on it that look so epic together. For instance, making arrangements in pastels in combination with bright colors. –
- Mixed Textures. Mix up flowers with varying petal shapes and types of leaves. Pair ruffled dahlias with smooth gardenia leaves to really make your arrangements pop.
- Planting Schemes. Consider putting your taller flowers, like dahlias or crepe myrtles, toward the back, and your shorter flowers, such as lisianthus or ranunculus, toward the front to cool off the heights in your borders and beds.
Conclusion
In 2024, it can absolutely enhance the look of any garden—from whatever that looks like a rose to peonies—giving the gardener the ability to flaunt style without all the hassle of maintaining the regular type. Of the camellias, dahlias, or anemones, whatever one will choose to put in a garden, he will understand that these choices are not only to pretty things up but giving the garden a cool aura. Look over these choices and let your imagination go for a fabulous floral landscape showing off the nature around. Happy gardening!
I am Amelia, a professional who is powerfully driven by an extreme passion for the minute intricacies of flowers and trees. Through years of rigorous studies and practical exposure to botany and horticulture, I managed to nurture expertise that cuts across the scientific and aesthetic fronts of plant life.