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10 Years of Blogging, 17 Years of Growing Peonies

March 11, 2026

I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I started blogging about growing, varieties, marketing, irrigating, staking, losses, vases, coolers, preparing your fields, soils, location, drying, and so much more about peonies.......

Peony Care newsletter from Green Works

March 7, 2026

Hello Peony lovers This newsletter is from our friends in Holland from Green Works. They graciously have allowed me to share with you. I love their newsletters. They are absolutely terrific. However, when it comes to chemicals, always check with your own states. What is legal in Alaska may not be legal in your state, and certainly what is legal in Holland, may not be OK here................

Beyond the Vase: Proven Techniques for Long-Term Peony Storage

July 1, 2025

Unlock the secrets to keeping your peonies fresh and vibrant for weeks after harvest. From rapid precooling and meticulous disease inspections to time-tested “coffin” boxes and modern gas-controlled containers, learn practical methods—whether using permeable azalea bags or simple shipping crates—for safely storing everything from delicate whites to challenging reds. Plus, discover why clear care instructions are just as crucial as temperature control to ensure every stem arrives looking its very best...................

Snow, Straw, and Survival: Thirty Years of Peony Hardiness Research in Interior Alaska

June 27, 2025

For three decades at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, every snowflake has mattered. Twice in that time the Georgeson Botanical Garden lost 100% of its peonies—once to bare soils under wind-scoured skies, once to a brutal –30 °F snap that penetrated even frozen ground. What I’ve learned is simple: without at least six inches of snow that stays put, peonies in the Interior simply won’t survive. Whether you rely on natural snowfall or inventive mulches—straw, leaves, spruce boughs, even seaweed—the goal is the same: keep those buds and roots insulated all winter long..........

2021 Losses

January 3, 2022

I blog for several reasons. So, others won't make the same mistakes we made and because I love the farming industry. So, here's a very long, detailed lesson about losses. The 2021 season was a disaster. When everything thawed and the buds started sticking their little heads out of the ground, it became quite obvious we were in trouble...............................

Drying Peonies

January 10, 2021

Over the past 14 years of growing peonies, there has been one question asked many times but one I didn’t think I had an interest—until!! When I saw some peonies dried, I just fell in love with...

Peony Varieties Part 2

January 3, 2021

Peony Varieties There are literally thousands of peony varieties. Breeders are constantly coming up with 'new' discoveries. Often these 'new' varieties look very, very much like an already existing variety. In my opinion, the intent perhaps to have a flower...

Blog

10 Years of Blogging, 17 Years of Growing Peonies

Peony Care newsletter from Green Works

Beyond the Vase: Proven Techniques for Long-Term Peony Storage

Snow, Straw, and Survival: Thirty Years of Peony Hardiness Research in Interior Alaska

2021 Losses

Drying Peonies

Peony Varieties Part 2

Peony Varieties Part 1 : General Habits of Varieties

Staking Reasons

Cutting Gardens

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