General Discussion

N.B. This is a very difficult question which is answered differently by different growers in different areas of the world because they have different needs and different past experiences.

Some criteria to consider include:
a) Colour. Some colours are always in demand e.g. white for weddings. Other colours suit particular seasons e.g. bright red for Christmas time. Is it a novel colour e.g. coral or a yellow single? Is the colour common or uncommon, is it coming into fashion or has it moved out of fashion. (The latest impression is that although common in peonies, pink has been out of fashion but is now generally becoming more popular as an interior decorating colour.) There is nothing softer and more luscious for a funeral than softest blush.

b) Colour of Bud. Unfortunately many so-called white peonies start off with blush pink buds. This also seems to vary with season, so that cooler and wetter seasons give rise to more pink colouration than drier hotter ones. Bowl of Cream, Duchess de Nemours (and from my limited experience Minnie Shaylor) seem to have whiter buds than many.

c) Timing. Earliness or lateness of flowering may add a lot of value to the cutflower and Red Charm is nice and early. The particular lateness of Ann Cousins adds value to it as a white double. Miss America has a special value as the earliest lactiflora white/blush semidouble/double to flower, even though its intrinsic qualities are only average.

d) Size and Quality of Bud & Blooms. Large rounded buds e.g. Bowl of Cream, have more appeal than small buds and fetch better prices. Some buds are cigar shaped rather than rounded. Yet others look like hedgehogs opening, although the final blooms can be very good e.g. Jean E Bockstoce. However, there often seems to be a principle operating whereby the larger the individual blooms, the less the total number of stems. Then there is a tradeoff with the next quality - productivity.

e) Productivity. Some varieties e.g. Mothers Choice, Festiva Maxima, Minnie Shaylor, Baroness Schroeder, Dinner Plate, Christmas Velvet (particularly) are very productive. Even if individual blooms are less, the overall productivity can easily outweigh the reduced earning per bloom.

f) Novelty. Some varieties are still not really known and it will take some enterprising cutflower grower to appreciate their value.

List of Varieties

Some varieties that we sell as cutflower varieties include:

Red
* Buckeye Belle
* Chippewa
* Maestro
* Felix Supreme
* Kansas
* Red Charm
* Command Performance
* Henry Bockstoce
* Christmas Velvet
* Old Faithful

Coral
* Coral Sunset
* Coral Charm

White
* Amalia Olsen
* Bowl of Cream
* Miss America
* Ann Cousins
* Bridal Gown
* Bridal Shower
* Duchess de Nemours
* Festiva Maxima
* White Ivory
* Festiva Supreme

Pink
* Dinner Plate
* Mrs Franklin D Roosevelt
* Pillow Talk
* Etched Salmon

Blush
* Mothers Choice