Peony Farm Annual timeline

With winter settling in on these shortest days of the year I thought you all might be interested on the major milestones that divide up our year on the peony farm.

Some are obvious and others are much more behind the scenes.

We have two busy seasons here on the farm. The first of course is spring when the peonies are in bloom and the fields are full of visitors. But we are just as busy in fall digging, dividing and shipping.

JANUARY

First release of 2025 peony catalog is for sale at 12:01am on January 1.

Additional peony varieties for fall shipping are added to the bare root catalog late January or early February.

MARCH

Watch for pre-sale events for native plants and fruit trees available for pickup at the farm in May.

APRIL

Early in April the peony shoots start to emerge from the soil in both the fields and their pots. Some varieties wait until later in the month to pop up for the season.

MAY

Our seasonal grand opening is the first Friday of the month.

We also look for our first bloom in the fields early in the month. For the two years we’ve owned the farm the first bloom opened up on May 8. The same day for both years, despote drastically different weather. The first year was cold and snowy through April and last year was so warm we thought we may have peony blooms in February!

Fern leaf varieties and their hybrids are typically the first peonies to open up. Woody peonies aren’t far behind and really show off in the middle of the month.

By the end of the month coral and red hybrid varieties have really kicked off peony season. Memorial Day through Father’s Day is a good general timeframe for when to visit the peony farm to see plenty in bloom.

JUNE

We’re keeping a close eye on the fields for the varieties that are ready to be divided and sold the following year. There are more than 600 varieties to check out during bloom season.

By the second week of the month, pink varieties are in full swing. They take over just as the corals and red hybrids start to fade. The yellow peonies also bloom around the middle of June.

Then middle to late June, the white varieties are the star of the show.

JULY

After the 4th of July peony bloom season is over and we reduce the hours the farm is open. We typically still have some potted peony varieties for sale along with other awesome perennials, trees and fruit. Plus you can expect a good sale on all of it.

SEPTEMBER

Labor day is the last day to order bare root peonies online.

We like to wait for some good rain before we begin to harvest peony roots. With any luck, we start digging by the middle to end of the month. It’s by far the most stressful time of the year for us.

OCTOBER

Shipping season begins in early October at the ideal time for planting bare root peonies.

After shipping we offer our last chance sale of peony roots. Then we either pot up the extras to be sold in spring or plant them back into our field to grow again.

NOVEMBER

Potted up peonies get tucked into their winter house for the cold season ahead.

DECEMBER

We’re putting the final touches on the bare root peony catalog for the following year.

The website has to be ready for January 1, when it’s time to shop again!