Peonies are my absolute favorite! My mother had them in her yard and she gave me her peony roots to plant in my yard. I enjoyed having them in my garden and in a vase in my home. Their scent was heavenly.

When we bought 10 acres of land a few years ago, I knew I wanted a peony farm. It did take some time to prepare the soil because of the hard clay. I ordered several crates of different varieties of peony roots and immediately started planting.

First, I put down weed barrier to save time on weeding. In a few years, I may have to remove that weed barrier. We will see when the time comes.

It takes 2-3 years for peonies to produce lots of blooms and my peonies are still very young. But it is definitely worth the wait. In the meantime, I will grow other flowers. What should I grow? Are there any flowers you are looking for?

Tulips! These gorgeous flowers are a delight to have. I also find their history interesting. One day, while searching for movies on Netflix, I found one called Tulip Fever. It drew me in on a little bit of how the tulip came to the Netherlands. It is actually a wildflower from Asia that was shipped to Europe and people went crazy over it. Although the movie isn’t a true story, I did find a book that gives more detail about the craziness this flower caused. The book is called The Tulip. The Story Of A Flower That Has Made Men Mad. By Anna Pavord. It is a good read.

Tulips are so easy to grow and they make a great cut flower. I have always wanted cut flowers in my backyard so I could bring them inside and place in a vase.

I made a raised bed to plant them in because, for cut flower production, you have to dig the entire flower out, including the bulb. When you cut the flower, you take away it's energy to produce more flowers the next year. The tulip will store in the fridge for up to a month while it's bulb is attached. You also need to know the right time to dig them up. Once the bud is about to crack open is the best way to know.

There are several different varieties of tulips. Some are fringed on the edges, then there are some with double petals, and some have long stems that are perfect for flower arranging. Do you have a favorite tulip?

Here is the end result of the tulip bed I planted last fall.