US: Alaska peonies bloom a month early
On the hills above Homer, Beth VanSandt of Scenic Place Peonies is in constant motion, wading through thousands of waist-high plants cutting buds before they “blow” into the outrageous explosion of fragrance and frilly beauty that has made the peony one of the most sought flowers for weddings and other special occasions.
VanSandt and her partner Kurt Weichhand have a lot going on right now. The bottom field, which was planted just three years ago, is ready for harvest, with row after row bursting with long stems topped with promising, big peony flower buds. It’s about a year early — VanSandt said she didn’t expect to start harvesting that field this year. That’s good news. But the flowers are ready about a month flowers are ready about a month early, and that’s not so good.
Homer’s unseasonably warm weather early in the summer combined with record-breaking low snowpack last winter. Without the snow to keep the ground cool in the spring, for the second year in a row, Homer peony growers are harvesting a month before they expected.
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