Perfect Peonies 2019

On June 7th 2019, we held our fourth annual “Perfect Peonies” class with Electric Moon Peony Farm. On a beautiful late Spring evening in the quiet town of Adamsville, R.I. we were excited to teach a sold out class to eager Peony lovers (like us), some who had traveled a far distance to experience the beauty of this farm. Thanks to a feature in the national magazine, The Cottage Journal, word had spread about our beautiful floral series and the energy was surging for the local growers here in Rhode Island.

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Guests were given a full farm tour of Electric Moon Peony Farm courtesy of owners David and Anne. While on the tour, guests were shown the differences between tree, herbaceous, and Itoh peonies and learned which ones are the best investment for each grower. Topics like petal formation, foliage coloring, and bloom time were all covered while walking the rows and rows of beautiful peonies. David and Ann also demonstrated to our guests how to incorporate peony plants into their own perennial gardens by showing them the proper way to plant a peony and how to treat for diseases. Throughout the tour, guests were invited to take pictures, record notes, and ask any of their burning questions. Using all of the senses, everyone got an in-depth look into what it takes to grow and care for the perfect peony plant- making us all experts and inspiring us to buy even more plants!

When the farm tour was complete, guests were invited to join me in designing a summery centerpiece using fresh cut peonies from David and Anne’s garden. Our guests had the opportunity to choose from an array of colors and textures, not only from Electric Moon Peony Farm, but also flowers from Weatherlow Farm including mint, Queen Anne’s lace and campanula as well as spray roses from Paja Rosa in California. Foam free mechanics were taught and I also shared the importance of the Slow Flowers movement happening in our own community and across the nation. By sharing my personal story and The Local Bouquet’s mission of sustainability and the future of flower farming, guests were inspired (hopefully) to join in and become an active member in our flower community.

This year after the guests had finished creating their designs, they were invited to stay for dinner and drinks amongst the peonies! This was the perfect time to stop and enjoy the beautiful views, mingle with new and old friends, and even get some extra time with the teachers to ask any more questions! This part in the class was a special gift because it renewed my love for this flower community we have been building through the “Farmer Florist Series” for the past four years. I am so excited to see what 2020 brings and cannot wait to celebrate the series’ 5th birthday with you all! Stay tuned for ticket sales to launch at the beginning of December and for some big plans!

Thank you to the talented Jennifer Johnson for photographing our entire series this year. Take a look at all the magic she captured amongst the peonies…

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