Herbaceous peonies, bred in Canterbury.
Paul and Esther Simmons have grown peonies near Christchurch since 1986. Roots are dug each autumn and sent bare-root to gardens and flower farms in New Zealand and overseas.
We're not offering plants for sale at the moment, but you're welcome to enquire.
The 2026 varieties
Seven new herbaceous hybrids from Paul's breeding, each with his notes on colour, size and when it flowers.
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Altogether Lovely
- Light orange pink, double
- 17 cm flowers, 85 cm tall
- A week to 10 days after Red Charm
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Enchanted Evening
- Peach cream, double
- 15 cm flowers, 80 cm tall
- About 2 weeks after Red Charm
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Heaven's Joy
- Peach beige, pink undertones, double
- 14 cm flowers, 100 cm tall
- About 10 days after Red Charm
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Lovely Day
- Pink opening, then beige yellow, double
- 15 cm flowers, 90 cm tall
- Very late
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Maria's Memory
- Medium cerise pink, double
- 15 cm flowers, 73 cm tall
- Mid to late season
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Promise Of Spring
- Dusky pink, semi-double
- 15 cm flowers, 75 cm tall
- Often the earliest to flower
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Springtime Joy
- Peach yellow, lavender to maroon flares, double
- 13 cm flowers, 55 cm tall
- One of the earliest
Plan a season of flowers
Paul times every variety against Red Charm, the classic mid-season hybrid. Choose across the columns and your peonies open one after another, from the earliest to the very late.
Filter by colour, height and timing-
Earliest
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With Red Charm
Red Charm, the classic mid-season hybrid
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About a week after
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About 2 weeks after
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About 3 weeks after
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4 weeks and later
Flowering time not yet recorded for Eternal Love and Seidl's Super.
From our field to yours
- At least three buds
- Every root we send has a minimum of three buds.
- Sent in April and May
- Roots are dug in the autumn and sent bare-root, within New Zealand and overseas.
- Overseas orders
- We've sent roots to the USA, Canada and across Europe. The phytosanitary certificate and inspection are charged at cost.
Paul and Esther Simmons
We've run our peony nursery on the outskirts of Christchurch since 1986. Like all good business stories we started small, with 100 plants imported from the USA.
We are root producers first: we propagate peonies for gardens and for commercial cut-flower growers, and Paul breeds and names his own herbaceous hybrids.
As we are heading for retirement, we're not sure when we'll next offer peonies for sale. We may offer some in autumn 2026, and if we do we'll announce it here. You are welcome to enquire at any time.
What growers say
“I have never seen so healthy and good looking roots ever before.”
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“Your peonies reached me in good condition. Some flowered within a couple of months. The roots were very large with several buds.”
An Italian grower -
“Quality of the plants is awesome.”
Switzerland, 2019 -
“Thanks for the immense size of the roots, especially the Itoh-hybrids with lots and lots of buds.”
Belgium, 2007