Garden to Vase – Peonies

Learn how to grow and arrange with peonies, the floral stars of early summer.

These luscious, blousy blooms feel like the most indulgent of cut flowers and are an invaluable focal element for May to June. They are actually very easy to grow and require little maintenance but to get the best out of them they demand a prime spot in the garden and three years of waiting before you can start to pick!

Rachel will share all she has learned about growing peonies for cutting over the past 16 years, including the best varieties for colour, scent and succession of flower, so that you can experience up to six weeks of peony heaven. You will put into practise how to pick to retain the vigour of your plants, the correct stage of harvest and conditioning for a long vase life.

After selecting your favourites you will have the opportunity to seek out some accompanying focal flowers – garden roses and spires of foxgloves, supporting and accent elements like frilly sweet peas, pale lemon buttercups, icelandic poppies and twining honeysuckle. In our fields and hedges we will also be harvesting flowering branches and foliage to use as framework elements.

Rachel will demonstrate how she works with peonies in her floral designs and what she likes to arrange with them to balance and enhance their form and colour. She is a firm believer in the vase being equally as important as the florals and now with her own pottery studio on the farm she has handmade some deep footed bowls to show the peonies off to their best.

After a two course home cooked lunch made with fresh produce from the kitchen garden we will spend the afternoon arranging in the beautifully restored coaching barn next to our flower fields. Once you have completed your bowl arrangement Rachel will show you how to make a garden-gathered style peony bouquet

You will take home your arrangement, bouquet, lots of growing and arranging tips and  five packets of seeds varieties that work well with peonies.

Date: Wednesday 28th May

Time: 10 – 4pm

Price: £230