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Minnesota Gardening

When will the peonies bloom on the North Shore of Lake Superior?

18 years ago

Does anyone know if peonies will be blooming on the North Shore of Lake Superior, or the Duluth area next weekend?

We're planning a 50th wedding anniversay celebration for my folks on June 29th, and would like to decorate with peonies, the flower used in their wedding. Our peonies here in the Twin Cities are just about done. If the peonies are likely to be in bloom on the North Shore or Duluth area at about that time,does anyone know a good place to buy them as cut flowers? We're going to be coming back from the North Shore on the 27th and could pick them up at that time.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments (5)

birdwing
18 years ago
I know they have them at koehler &dramm in Minneapolis. They're wholesale though. I saw bouquets of peonies at the farmer's market in St. Paul today. Maybe you could buy them up there at a farmer's market? Do they have them in Duluth? I'm sure they do I just don't know where.. It would probably be the right time to buy them up there.
karenn3
18 years ago
I don't know the timing for bloom in Duluth, but there is a way to preserve peonies. Pick them at golfball stage, before blossom break. When you need them, snip the ends and put in water, strip the leaves, dip the cut ends in melted candle wax, wrap the stems in damp newspaper, put in plastic bags and refrigerate. They can hold for maybe 4 months. I believe there should be no fruits in the fridge with them. I also don't remember if the buds should be wrapped in damp paper. It's been a while since I had enough flowers to do this. A web search might give you more information.
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newgrdenrmn
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I am about 25 miles south of Duluth and my peonies are on the verge of blooming, I think that this weekend I will see the first flowers. I am not sure where you can get buy them as cut flowers though. I would maybe call Engwalls or another local flower shop in the Duluth area. I would also try the Cloquet Greenhouse. Good Luck!
User
18 years ago
My Dad lives just outside Grand Marais on the Lake. He says his peonies will bloom by the 4th of July if warm weather (low 70s?) holds up. When we lived on the Gunflint Trail, the peonies came into bloom in the last week of June, most years.
jel48
18 years ago
Too bad you're not a year or two later.... We picked up a Duluth newspaper on our way home from vacation yesterday, and someone has donated about 60 peonies (and plan to donate time to care for them) to the Duluth Rose Garden. The article said they will bloom for about a month before the roses start...

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