Peonies Under Pressure

Hey there, flower friends!

Katharine here, from our mother-daughter cut flower business. As many of you know, we’re passionate about bringing you the most beautiful blooms straight from our fields to your homes. But today, I wanted to share a little behind-the-scenes info about the challenges our beloved peonies, among other flowers, are facing this season.

First off, let's talk weather. This spring in Berks County, PA, has been a bit of a rollercoaster. We've had unusually high temperatures followed by a deluge of rain. Over the last three weeks in Mohrsville, we've seen these extreme weather conditions really take a toll. While rain is typically a good thing for flowers, too much of it can actually stress them out—especially delicate blooms like peonies, who days later can burned by the sun and heat. A third of our peony crop was detrimentally affected.

Our peonies have been feeling the heat and the downpours. They’ve been working hard to grow and bloom, but these weather extremes are making it tough for them. You might notice that our peonies aren’t lasting as long as they usually do. Right now, the vase life for our peonies is about 5 to 7 days. We want to be upfront about this so you know what to expect. To give our peonies the best chance, we're picking them three times a day to ensure they're harvested at their peak.

Additionally, the weather conditions have not been favorable for our ranunculus These lovely flowers prefer cooler temperatures, and as soon as the weather climbs above 70 degrees, they go dormant. The recent heat spikes in Mohrsville have prevented our ranunculus from being the healthy, robust flowers we strive to grow. We've added shade cloth to help protect them, but the weather still poses a significant challenge.

Despite these challenges, Erin, my mom, is out in the fields every day, giving our flowers the best care possible from seed to harvest. We’re doing everything we can to ensure that when you receive our peonies and ranunculus, they’re still as stunning and fresh as they can be, but please understand the growing conditions are no ideal.

We appreciate your understanding and support during this tricky growing season. If you have any questions or need tips on how to get the most out of your blooms, feel free to reach out. We're here for you!

Happy blooming,

Katharine

P.S. Keep an eye out for updates on our other flowers and how they’re faring through the season. 🌸