By Jane Wang | 2025-07-04 13:05:53
Peonies are one of the most beloved flowers, known for their lush, full blooms and delightful fragrance. To help you get the most out of your beautiful peonies from AMBL, we’ve put together the ultimate care guide.
Choosing Your PeoniesWhen you receive your peonies, they may arrive in a tight bud form. This is ideal, as it means you get to watch them bloom and enjoy them for longer. Look for buds that are soft to the touch, like a marshmallow, which indicates they are ready to open soon.
Preparation and HydrationUpon arrival, it’s crucial to hydrate your peonies immediately. Follow these steps:
Prepare a clean vase and fill it with fresh, cool water.
Remove any leaves that will fall below the waterline in the vase. This prevents bacterial growth.
Using sharp scissors or a knife, trim at least 3cm from the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle.
Place the peonies in the vase immediately.
Placement and Ongoing CareKeep your vase in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight, heating vents, and ripening fruit, as these can cause the flowers to wilt prematurely. Change the water and re-trim the stems every two days to prolong their vase life.
Pro Tip: Encouraging Buds to OpenIf your peony buds are taking a while to open, you can gently massage the buds and place them in a slightly warmer (not hot) room. The change in temperature can encourage them to unfurl their beautiful petals.
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By kit | 2025-07-24 13:53:31
We’re so excited to share that the second episode of The Floret Farm Journal is now available to watch! In June, summer spills across the farm, and the green promise that was May bursts into color. The month brings an abundance that feels almost overwhelming at times, and each morning I find new surprises as the farm reshapes itself.
In this episode, we tend thousands of young plants as we prepare for breeding season, watch as our hedgerows come alive, visit Anne Belovich’s garden one final time before it goes on the market, and explore our rose preservation area where centuries-old European varieties carry scents and stories that feel like impossible memories. Plus, the cutting garden is at its absolute peak, with wave after wave of ridiculous beauty that will stop you in your tracks.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Plant Care
Handy weeder
Compost Tea Supplies & Equipment
Dr. Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web Foundation Course
Featured Plants
Hedges and hedgerow information, and favorite varieties can be found in this postTimelapse studio arrangement: Delphinium Highlander ‘Blueberry Pie’, ‘Crystal Delight’, and ‘Sweet Sensation’Rose shelf varieties: Top row: ‘L’Ingénue’, Alba Maxima, Alba Semi plena, ‘Princess de Lamballe’, ‘Sappho’, ‘Madame Hardy’, Foliacea, ‘Madame Plantier’Top center row: Dupontii, Sancta richardii, ‘Chloris’, ‘Belle Isis’, ‘Comtesse de Murinais’, ‘Hebe’s LipBottom row center: ‘Celsiana’, ‘Gloire de Guilan’, ‘Tour de Malakoff’, ‘Perle des Panachées’, ‘Leda’, ‘Pompon Blanc Parfait’, ‘Maiden’s Blush’Bottom row: ‘Duc de Cambridge’, Blush Hip, ‘Désirée Parmentier’, Autumn Damask, ‘Nouvelle Pivoine’, ‘Bella Donna’Foxglove in cutting garden: ‘Apricot Beauty’Timelapse Equipment
iPhone 16
Blackmagic Camera app
Cutting Garden
Trugg
Snips
Custom metal archways created by Metalistics
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By kit | 2025-07-24 13:53:58
There are few things more thrilling than learning how to propagate roses from cuttings. Knowing how to multiply your favorite varieties and how to preserve treasured heirlooms is both exhilarating and addicting. Last year I took more than 1,500!
We’ve just started to take rose cuttings here at the farm, and I thought you might enjoy seeing how it’s done. There are a few tricks that I’ve picked up along the way that have increased our success rate considerably, and I’m excited to share them with you. The rose featured in this video is ‘Dupontii’.
I hope this helps take some of the mystery out of the process and inspires you to get out into the garden and try your hand at it.
SUPPLIES
Gloves
Sharp pruners
Rose cuttings
Basket to hold cuttings (I used a trugg) or jar of water (if not propagating right away)
Good-draining potting soil (something with plenty of organic matter and perlite, etc.)
Tall potNursery band pots4 in potSureRoots Deep 50 Cell Plug Tray (good for taking many cuttings)
Rooting hormoneWood’s liquid rooting concentrateDip ‘N GrowHormex rooting powder #3
Water (to dilute liquid rooting hormone)
Pencil
Labels
Permanent marker
Watering can or hose with attachment
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