Peonies represent all that is great in a flower; large, fragrant, elegant blossoms that usher in early summer with the power of a brass Cajun marching band.

We love these plants for their hardiness to our cold winters and the tremendous array of varieties that range in color, petals and size. For our plot, we chose 5 varieties that were bred for cutting, producing long stems and blossoms that can last over 2 months in cold storage. Four of our varieties are heirlooms, which are well known to florists preparing wedding floral arrangments, due to their fragrance and their soft white and pink hues. We selected Coral Sunset as our fifth variety due to its unique and remarkable signature color that fades over time to subtle peach and yellow tones. Like all peonies, we hope that with annual care and feeding, these plants will produce elegant blossoms for the vase or bouquets for the next 50 years or more. Check out the descriptions below for each our varieties.

Our Peonies

Duchesse de Nemours

This beautiful creamy-white flower, with its intense, sweet fragrance, is an heirloom variety dating back to the mid-1850s. The subtle yellow accents in the center of the bloom add depth to a sensational flower.
Alexander Fleming

This beautiful peony is known for its large, rich blossoms of double petals that are so thick that they can take an almost ball-like shape when full. This long-lived flower also has an intense and sweet fragrance that can’t be missed.
Sarah Bernhardt

There is no mistaking this peony for its large, pastel pink blossoms comprised of double ruffled petals and subtle bright pink highlights. There is a reason that this peony has been a longtime favorite since it was first introduced in 1906.
Charles White

These peonies feature an outer flower surrounding a inner bundle of white and yellow petals. Honeybees and humans love this flower for its show and light fragrance that slowly fills a room with aroma.
Coral Sunset

This bright coral flower is an award winner! The semi-double blossom with ruffled petals create large, lush blossoms that are truly unique and brighten any arrangement. The blossoms fade over time to a mellow peach and yellow array, making them both vibrant and dynamic flowers.

Alexander Fleming (front) and Sarah Bernhardt comparison

Spring bouquet of Sarah Bernhardt, Alexander Fleming and Duchesse de Nemours

Peonies:

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did you decide to plant so many peonies?

To us, peonies are the epitome of the ideal flower. Equally at home in the garden or as the centerpiece, they brighten the farm when they bloom in late May. We have a total of 75 plants (15 each of 5 varieties), but we could easily have planted many times that number! In fact, we seem to be always thinking about how we can expand our collection, so this number may not be fixed in stone…

What is the most challenging part of growing peonies?

Peonies are robust plants that are hardy to cold temperatures and require relatively minimal care. The biggest challenge is that the plants can grow too large over time and overcrowd one another. In this case, where air circulation can be limited, it is possible for the leaves to get covered in a fungus that diminishes the plant vigor. This is easily treated in the near term with a spray of diluted cow’s milk. Over time, vigorous peony plants require “splitting” - digging out the root ball and splitting it into smaller sections and replanting. Yay, more peonies!!

What varieties of peonies do you grow?

We have five varieties of peonies, four of which are heirloom varieties (Charles White, Sarah Bernhardt, Duchesse de Nemours, Alexander Fleming) that are often featured in wedding bouquets due to their fragrance and white or pink blossoms. Our fifth variety, Coral Sunset, is a newer variety but has spectacular, unique color that we couldn’t pass up. All of our varieties have been bred for cutting - they have long stems and buds that can be kept fresh for months in cold storage..