Peonies are one of the most rewarding flowers you can grow in the mountains, and fall is the time to plant them. They love our cold winters, the deer leave them alone, and once they settle in they’ll bloom for you year after year. A well-planted peony can outlive all of us by a century, which makes it one of the best gifts you can give your garden.

I’ve put together a small, carefully chosen collection of peony roots for you this season, sourced from the Netherlands through our trusted wholesaler, Farmer Bailey. These are varieties I love for their beauty, their character, and how well they hold up as cut flowers. Quantities are limited, so if one catches your eye, don’t wait too long.

Monsieur Jules Elie
A French heirloom from the 1800s that has truly stood the test of time. Big, fully double blooms packed with ruffled rose-pink petals that take on a soft silvery sheen as they age. Wonderfully fragrant.

La Donna
A fluffy, romantic double in soft pink, with a ring of buttery yellow petals tucked between the layers and more gold gathered in the center. Fragrant, full, and a little whimsical, it’s hard to mistake for anything else. Blooms mid-season.

Johnny
A real conversation starter. Single raspberry-pink petals surround a wild burst of golden, pink-streaked petals in the center. Lightly fragrant, but it makes up for it in drama. Blooms mid-season.

Coral Beach (also known as King’s Day)
If you’ve ever dreamed of an orange peony, this is as close as it gets. It opens a rich salmon-orange, softens to creamy peach, and fades to ivory by the end of its vase life, with a ring of golden stamens when fully open. Blooms early on strong stems. The one thing it’s missing is that classic peony fragrance, but the color more than makes up for it.f