06/01/2026
The dirt behind the dream. 🚜🌸
It’s easy to fall in love with peonies when they are at their peak—pillowy, fragrant, and perfect. But the real magic happens years before, out in the muddy, unglamorous trenches.
💡 A Quick Peony Lesson: If you’re planting peonies, remember that they are an investment in patience! They are notorious for “sleeping, creeping, and leaping.”
Year 1 (Sleep): They are establishing their massive root systems.
Year 2 (Creep): You’ll see a few small stems and maybe a single, precious bloom.
Year 3 (Leap): The magic finally explodes!
🌱 Flower Grower’s Tip:
Peonies are heavy feeders and love rich, fertile soil, which is why we spend so much time tilling in generous amounts of compost before they ever hit the ground. When planting bare roots in the autumn or early spring, make sure the pink “eyes” are pointing up toward the sky. Give them space, give them sun, and don’t be afraid of a little mud along the way!
And when Mother Nature throws you a giant record setting flood for April, you have to get creative and pump it out (definitely happened to us this spring 🫠).
