Richmond Peonies

05/09/2026

After much cajoling Chris built me a new cool room. And today we filled it with dried Hydrangea. Not quite the plan, just a temporary storage space until I figure out what to do with them all. Thought I might make some wreaths, or something?😆 anyway the cool room will be put to good use when the Peonies start next month.

19/08/2026

We have a new water feature… 😳 We love the 5 ducks who call our dam home, they come every morning when we feed the Guinea Fowl and doze cosily amongst the cherry trees. But they’ve turned the dam green! 😬 Just a little too much algae for our irrigation system. So with regular inoculants of friendly microorganisms along with water aeration, we are hoping we can get the system back in balance. Flower Farming Lesson No 2 😳🤣 Who would have thought?

16/08/2026

For 25 years we resisted the urge to buy a new tractor. Chris was so attached to his Fergie 35. Well, in the six months we’ve had it, Chris has found many inventive ways to put it to good use. Trust me, this is just one of them.!😆

10/08/2026

Underground, in the chill of winter when you thought all was quiet, peonies have been silently and stealthily doing their thing… look at the sheer energy of those new roots! I had to move this newly planted peony, and gained an insight into the secret life of a peony. Here’s the picture, so you don’t have to dig your peonies in winter 😆

08/08/2026

Dressed by our neighbour Paul (x2 past winner of the legendary Middleton Scarecrow competition) our cockie scarers have been deployed this afternoon. Each year the sulphur crested cockatoo’s stake out the patch, and quietly stroll along the row and nip off the emerging peony shoots. So far so good, the High Vis vested scarecrows are enough of a deterrent. Fingers crossed 🤞.

03/08/2026

Yes…. Flower farming is such an elegant, graceful and idyllic pastime 🤣 and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Here is Leanne as you have never seen her before, in the throes of repotting some of our peony nursery stock. Go Leanne! See the other Leanne when are are at Farm Gate Market this October! 🥰

29/07/2026

Just 10 degrees in Richmond today but it sure felt like 5.5 ! So we keep warm by spreading mulch on our peony rows. Mulch made from the remains of 1400 cherry trees! I’m very proud we opted for the expensive but environmentally appropriate way of recycling the carbon from the old cherry trees. I’m confident the soil (and the peonies and the planet) will be the long term beneficiaries.

09/05/2026

This is my first experience growing Zinnias. I’ve so enjoyed their striking colours and they have proved to be so robust in our dry climate, that I have already ordered seeds for this coming summer. I highly recommend them if you have some space. Oh and the gorgeous dahlia is from !

08/05/2026

08/05/2026

It’s a bitter sweet moment…. Removing a cherry orchard that you created. But sometimes farming requires big decisions. Whilst we still have a small cherry patch, we have planted our lovely hydrangeas and some wonderful new peony varieties in our former main cherry orchard. It’s been a huge endeavour, removing 1,900 trees and we’ve had super help from friends and ag colleagues to do it.