Annah and Sami chatted with Lee-Anne, an avid AS lover about her life on the peony patch. Peter, Lee-Anne's partner has around 15,000 peony plants that he grows for export.

Tell us about how your love of peonies began and how you reflect this love in your day to day life, knowing the November is truly peony season.

A few years ago my partner Peter, decided to commercially grow and export Peonies. He now has around 15 thousand plants with over 100 different varieties all blooming in November each year. Some plants have between 20 and 30 stems (buds). My border collie, Portia, eagerly supervises the patch each day, making sure the picking and processing goes well and visitors greet her with a belly rub and treats.

I am a very “mature” student (I prefer to be called a lifelong learner) in my final year of a law degree with Canterbury University (and inspired by the one and only Annah Stretton) so I don't get much free time to work with the peonies at the moment. But, I do enjoy regularly walking through the long rows, picking my favourites and sharing with friends. We don’t have gate sales as the patch is on a busy highway, so prefer to give them away when visiting local community residents and friends.

A part time government agency role gets me out and about meeting many people in their homes. They also regularly receive surprise bunches on their door steps knowing I have remembered their love for peonies in November.

It gives me so much joy to share some bunches locally when the majority of Peter’s peonies are exported across the world for others to enjoy.


We love that you have discovered the AS brand and its focus on the peony, our customer's favoured flower. Tell us about a piece from our collection that you love to wear again and again.

I have so many AS brand items - from clothing, bags, cushions, garden equipment, to desk items - to enjoy everyday, but my absolute favourite is:
the “Blooming Love” Elsie Cotton Shirt with the gorgeous love heart buttons.
As soon as it arrived the courier had hardly left my gate I had ripped open the parcel and was gracing my favourite local coffee shop feeling a million dollars. The vivid green background and pink peonies are stunning. Every time I wear it people comment and chat about Annah Stretton and peonies.

We'd love to hear some tips and tricks from you, as to how we can make our peonies
(if we are fortunate enough to have them), last longer in our vases.

Fresh cold water in the vase each day and snipping the ends of the stems regularly ensures they last just that bit longer and continue to bloom and grow to their full glory. Try to keep them in a cool place not direct sunlight. Some last one or two weeks in a vase. Some have a very special perfume if you are lucky enough to find them. Buy peonies in a tight bud so you can enjoy them fully.

Tell us something that we won't know about the peony flower

Peter chopped a Coral Sunset bud in half (accidentally!) and discovered it looks like an onion inside (see photo), from the ugliness inside, intricately tightly woven together until its ready to bloom and change colour as it grows in your vase.

If growing Peonies tubers, the soil needs to be free draining and frosty weather is the key in the winter. I recall my Nana in the Waikato throwing a bowl of ice on the soil every so often to mimic a good frost and to have her peonies plant shooting its stems up late Winter early Spring.

And finally any advice for the Annah Stretton brand on how we could add more 'peony' to our collection.

I asked Peter’s peonies workers today, all have AS clothing and were quick to show me photos of their special gorgeous dresses. The request was unanimous - more peonies tops to wear in the summer, soft and light flowing fabric, to compliment the swimwear.

Portia, the border collie, wants more varieties of bandanas, a peonies cover/coat, and a nice pink peonies collar would be awesome please!