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Offer a bouquet of peonies rather than roses for Mother’s Day. The peony is the elegant but ephemeral flower of spring. Report from a horticulturist in Aisne.
Peonies of all colors can be found in the fields of Hautevesnes (Aisne). But the seasonal workers don’t really have the time to enjoy the show, picking requires their full attention. “There are stem dimensions, depending on the variety, to be respected”, says a seasonal worker. The bud of the flower, its shape, its color, must decide the picker. A delicate operation to be repeated every day, because the right moment is fleeting.
“If you pick it too tight, the bud won’t open. If you pick it too swollen, you can’t keep it. So there’s a day to pick it,” explains Nicolas Herbert, peony grower. “All varieties have a picking color”, he specifies. After picking, the different varieties of peonies will wait a few days in a cold room. Markets, Parisian boutiques or online florists, these peonies from the Aisne seduce.