Our Pirinoa Peony bike outside Roam Martinborough.
Our story
Dean and I, originally from Wellington via Nelson and Napier, have swopped our sailing boots for Red Bands.
We took possession of Waihora homestead which was built in 1918 with a 1.8-hectare garden during lock-down of March 2020. We have now settled into a new life of looking after chickens, sheep, a renewed passion for gardening, ceramic art and renovating the house. We welcome visitors to the homestead, garden and ceramic studio.
We now have the growing space for peonies which fill the two back paddocks. Our first rows of 100 plants in 2021, proved successful. With each passing year we have added to our peonies with our favorite varieties; Duchesse de Nemours, Celebrity, Karl Rosenfield and a beautiful semi-double Coral.
Picked with care
The peony is a beautiful flower, it has a unique look, with vibrant colours and ruffled petals. A mature plant can grow to a height of around 60 to 100 cm, with sturdy stems and thick flowers.
It blooms in late spring or early summer for around three weeks, and we pick the buds early in the morning. To get the longest vase life and enjoy the anticipation as the flower slowly opens, it is best to pick them as they transition from a hard ball to a soft “marshmallow” type firmness. If you put them out in a vase at this time, they will continue to open and bloom into the beautiful, large flower. we have found that blooms that spend time right away in the fridge last much longer.
“From start to finish, working with Zulima
- Jeanine S., Events Customer