Horticulture expert Kathleen Gagan blossoms in her backyard garden, Peony’s Envy in Bernardsville. Photo: Arron Andrews
“I didn’t pick peonies. They picked me,” says Kathleen Gagan, owner and founder of Peony’s Envy display garden in Bernardsville. “The deer didn’t eat them and I didn’t kill them, so it was a perfect match.”
The garden’s playful name was born years ago at a cocktail party, when Gagan enthusiastically announced to several couples her plan to start a peony farm in her backyard. One of the guests said, “Sounds lovely—I’m sure we’ll all have peonies envy!”
Having previously lived a dynamic lifestyle working as a corporate communications consultant and linguist overseas for 15 years, Gagan was happy to settle back into bucolic Bernardsville. In 2002, she planted her first peony crop. Four years later, she began selling rootstock commercially and opened her garden to the public because she was “eager to build something that others could visit and enjoy.” Today, her property is home to one of the most extensive collections of peonies in the country.
More than 700 different cultivars thrive at Peony’s Envy. Photo: Arron Andrews
Although Peony’s Envy is known for its wide variety as a display farm, that’s only a small part of a much larger commercial venture centered around a bustling mail-order business. “We’re primarily a root grower, and our online catalog is open 365 days of the year, 24-7. Annually, we ship thousands of orders globally,” Gagan says. She grows 700 different cultivars, and each year her catalog showcases about 125 of them for sale. The Peony’s Envy crop is continually rotated, so the catalog offers ever-changing rootstock in white, pink, yellow, coral and red varieties.
Gagan, a nationally recognized gardening expert, appreciates the laid-back vibe of established peonies because, unlike other crops, they are easy to maintain. “Before starting my peony garden, I failed at a peach orchard because deer ate all the trees. Then I tried raising irises, with no luck,” she says. “Finally, I had success with peonies. Deer and rabbits don’t like them, and the established plants require little care. Everything you do for them comes back year after year because it’s a generous plant that gives back so much more than it takes.”
The cultivated-peony craze began in China 1,000 years ago and took root in England in the early 1800s before spreading to the United States in the early 1900s. One of the first books written for American peony gardeners was The Book of the Peony, penned in 1917 by Alice Harding of Harding Township in Morris County. Thanks to a worldwide fan base, Gagan’s library is filled with gifted first editions of peony books, including Harding’s.
Gagan’s favorite varieties of the genus Paeonia include Scarlett O’Hara, Pink Scarf and Amalia Olson. “There are thousands of peony cultivars registered with the American Peony Society. As one’s knowledge grows, there is a deeper appreciation for the abundance of varieties, along with individual flower forms and fragrances,” the horticulturist says. “With new cultivars always being introduced, it’s enough to captivate one’s interest for decades.”
Photo: Arron Andrews
Gagan’s kaleidoscopic garden, laid out over the 7-acre Somerset County property, displays all four major types of peonies: woodland, tree, herbaceous and intersectional. Each variety blooms for 7 to 10 days over a six-week period.
Peony’s Envy is open every day from the last Friday in April to the second Sunday in June. To fully enjoy the scope of the garden, some guests visit once a week. Tree peonies bloom in early May, while the herbaceous varieties bloom during late May and into early June.
“Raising this flower requires no innate talent. Anyone can do this,” says Gagan. “Once you establish the plants, even if you do nothing, your garden will be great. And if you do more than nothing, the result will be fabulous.”
The entrance fee to the private garden is $10 per person. “It’s all very passive, as guests meander through unmarked trails. Some visitors think we’re mean because we don’t allow smoking or pets. But this is simply a peaceful sanctuary to recharge and learn about peonies,” says Gagan, who writes gardening articles and lectures around the country.
Peony’s Envy is not a pick-your-own farm, but cut flowers are available for purchase. (If you prefer to pick your own blooms, visit the commercial Peony’s Envy growing location at the English family farm in Liberty Corner.) Following Mother’s Day, Peony’s Envy offers Friday-night picnics. Guests pay a $20 fee and are invited to spread a blanket and bring a picnic supper between 5:30 and 7:30 pm. “Friday night events have become a regular date night. And we’ve even witnessed a couple of wedding proposals,” says Gagan.
She admits, “I continue to do this because I haven’t failed at it yet. When people ask what I do for a living, I like saying, ‘I’m a peony farmer!’ It’s a great conversation starter.”
35 Autumn Hill Road, Bernardsville.
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