The Big Mistake I Made Planting Peonies (And What I’d Do Now)

Imagine this:

You ask me what flowers I’m growing in my cut flower garden and I start rattling off the list…

Tulips, daffodils, ranunculus, anemones, hellebores, hyacinths, allium, muscari, euphorbia, sweet peas, stock, peonies, snapdragons, campanula, larkspur, delphinium, nigella, sweet William, yarrow, feverfew, foxglove, zinnia, sunflowers, celosia, atriplex, marigolds, cosmos, scabiosa, amaranth, rudbeckia, lisianthus, statice, dusty miller, eucalyptus, bupleurum, lemon basil, mint, bunny tails, scented geranium, raspberry leaves, goldenrod, dill, dahlias, chrysanthemums, ageratum, gomphrena, verbena, globe thistle, sedum, ornamental kale, strawflower, ammobium, sweet Annie, statice and Chinese lantern…

And your response is probably: “Holy shit. That’s a lot.”

And it is.

Ironically, it’s also the number of peony varieties I grow in my main field: 56. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t done that. If I could rip them all out and start over, I’d…