One of the most popular spring bloomers is of course the peony. Peonies represent love, happiness and health, which explains why it is so very popular at weddings and events. But this seasonal flower also has the ability to make people happy at home. Only a few flowers will fill up a vase! Peonies are available in many different varieties, each with their own shape, color and character. There is a suitable variety for every occasion.

Warmerdam Paeonia
Grower Ruud Warmerdam comes from a family with a long horticultural history. Ruud is the fourth generation peony grower. His great-grandfather started with a very small corner of peonies next to the vegetables. With each generation more flowers were added and the surface area of the vegetable crop decreased. Ruud's father was the first in the family to focus entirely on peony cultivation. Ruud has gratefully continued his father's passion and has specialized in the distinctive varieties.

Cultivation
New peony plants are planted in the autumn and it takes three years before you can harvest the first flowers that are suitable for the market. Fortunately, a peony is a perennial crop and most varieties are old enough to produce a sizeable quantity every year.
In February/March the early varieties poke their noses above ground. The first flowers can be cut in late April, early May.
Drip hoses are laid in the ground so that the plants receive water and fertilizer when necessary. Between the fields there are wind screens that protect the plants against wind and dust to prevent damage to the leaves as much as possible. Apart from that, Ruud is completely at the mercy of the weather conditions and results may turn out quite differently from one year to another.

Craft
If you grow flowers in the way that Ruud envisions, growing peonies is still a real craft. He is a gardener's son, as he describes himself, not a farmer. Ruud is focused on supplying a large assortment, on a small scale, but with the highest quality. Weeding, fluffing, harvesting, sorting and bunching, the entire cultivation process is done by hand. And every action involves the human eye.
In the months of May and June, Ruud expects to harvest 18 to 19 varieties of peonies this year. In these months he has his hands full cutting and processing the flowers. Ruud cuts the flowers when they are in color and he wants to supply beautiful uniform bunches. “Uniformity is also quality,” he says. “If the peonies are nicely cut to color, there is an expectant development in the vase every day.”

Ruud really knows how to grow peonies, he says. On about three hectares of cultivation he uses both cut flowers and plant material. He has his own 'playground', where there are about 1200 varieties of peonies, which he breeds and tests with. Ruud is progressive and wants to remain innovative. Ruud does not want to become bigger, that will come at the expense of quality. He continues to focus on improving and renewing his range, so that he can remain distinctive and respond to market demand.

FloraPodium, 19 May 2022