March at The Peony Fields

Day by day, the peonies in The Fields are waking up, stretching up, and getting ready for their huge growth spurt. Early varieties are as much as 4-6 inches tall already, and some of the later varieties are still not even showing above the soil.

You've also been asking me whether the peonies are bothered by the freezing temperatures we're still experiencing. Peony plants are tough, and the cold doesn't bother them. Mostly. If we get a very cold night, say, below the mid twenties or so, there can be some plant damage.

Buds, on the other hand, are a little more susceptible to the cold. There are stages of bud growth that are more vulnerable than others. We don't cover our peonies in the field, there are entirely too many. There are a lot of varieties, and usually the damage will be limited to a few of them.

If you have one or a few beloved plants at home, you can put a large trash can upside down over them to protect those buds on very cold nights. 

Look! The gift shop has a roof. A reclaimed roof from a Virginia tobacco barn, to be exact. Be still my vintage-loving, farm-loving heart.

And a pretty little piece of gingerbread trim, from Converse Heights in Spartanburg. What fun to watch the shop come to life. 

You've been asking me lately, Erin, when I come to visit The Fields in the spring, will there be plants for me to take home?

Absolutely. Of course. Definitely. I wouldn't dream of leaving you plantsless. In previous years, we've taken preorders for spring plants. We're not doing that this year, but we still have a fantastic selection of potted plants for you to take home to your garden and love. Spring plants are pickup only, so if you're farther afield, you'll have to wait to order the more-easily-shippable roots until fall.

Most of the plants will be $35, with Itoh varieties a little more. 

Thoughts or questions about how the season is shaping up? Respond in the comments below!

See you in the spring,

Erin