Who Are We
A Family Affair: A Journey from Flowers to Skincare
Jo Smith Paeonies is a family-run business located in Nelson New Zealand. Our journey started in 2014 with a simple passion: sharing the breathtaking beauty of peonies with the world.
Our story started with our love for peonies. At first, we focused on bringing our fresh, vibrant peonies to local markets and events. We reveled in the joy our blooms brought to others, their beauty brightening homes and filling hearts with their intoxicating fragrance. However, our passion didn't stop at the blooms. We discovered the incredible skincare benefits of peony petals, their gentle yet effective properties, and the power to nourish and rejuvenate skin. This inspired us to create a line of natural, effective skincare products that are carefully crafted with the same dedication and love that we bring to our flower business.
Today, Jo Smith Paeonies offers a unique experience. We invite you to explore our peony variants, perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any occasion. And for a touch of nature's beauty on your skin, discover our luxurious skincare line, infused with the delicate essence of peonies. Each product is thoughtfully formulated using the finest ingredients, ensuring the highest quality and sustainability.
We believe in bringing the beauty of peonies to every aspect of life, from the joy of a stunning bouquet to the radiant glow of healthy skin. We invite you to experience the magic of peonies with us.
Our Commitment
Quality is at the heart of everything we do. From hand-picking each peony bloom to formulating our products with the finest ingredients, we uphold the highest standards to ensure your satisfaction. Whether you're purchasing for personal use or buying gifts for your loved ones, you can trust in the purity and potency of our peony offerings.
Retail and Wholesale
We cater to both retail customers and businesses looking to incorporate our peony products into their offerings. Whether you're a boutique looking to add a touch of elegance to your shelves or a spa seeking natural skincare solutions, we offer flexible wholesale options to meet your needs.
Join Us in Our Passion
We invite you to explore our world of peonies and experience the beauty and benefits they have to offer. Whether you're drawn to the enchanting aroma of fresh blooms or the nourishing properties of our skincare line, Jo Smith Paeonies is here to enrich your life with the essence of peonies.
Sheiling Saffron
Apart from our peony products, we also sell Saffron, which is also locally grown in our farm in Nelson, New Zealand.
Nestled amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Upper Moutere, our saffron fields embody the essence of sustainability and artisanal care. We take great pride in cultivating Saffron using sustainable practices, ensuring minimal environmental impact while maximizing flavor and potency.
Each delicate saffron stigma is hand-harvested with meticulous attention to detail, preserving its purity and capturing its unparalleled flavor profile. This hands-on approach guarantees that every strand of Sheiling Saffron is of the highest quality, embodying the richness and authenticity that discerning chefs and culinary enthusiasts seek.
Join us in celebrating the culmination of passion and precision at Jo Smith Paeonies, where Sheiling Saffron stands as a testament to our commitment to excellence and sustainability. Explore the allure of Nelson-grown saffron and elevate your culinary creations with the distinctive essence of Sheiling Saffron.
OUR SERVICES
We deliver flowers and all other products nationwide. We don't deliver flowers in rural areas as it will take time and may affect the flowers' quality upon arrival.
Your peonies will arrive in 2-4 business days in a box with a chiller pad included. Shipping is charged per 2 boxes (maximum 40 stems), and additional boxes will result in additional freight charges.
FOR BULK/ WHOLESALE ORDERS
OUR NURSERY
Preparing the soil for planting.
Some points to remember:
- Never plant a peony in a soggy area or an area which has standing water for any length of time. Your peonies need a fertile, well-drained soil with a mildly-acid to neutral pH of 6.5-7.
- A minimum of 6 hours of sun is required for good growth on herbaceous and intersectional paeonies. Tree paeonies flourish in the full sun with robust growth, the only disadvantage is the flowers fade very quickly.
- Tree peonies will grow and flower well in areas with dappled sunlight or partial shade. Growth will be a bit slower than in the full sun, but the flowers will last longer.
- The peony should be planted with the eyes up and roots down. The eyes are the pink or white buds on top of the roots. The peony eyes should not be planted any lower than 2 feet below the soil’s surface. If planted below this, the peony may not bloom.
- Once the peony is properly placed in the hole, backfill the hole with soil. Make sure the roots don’t sink lower than 2 feet below ground level. Water the freshly planted peonies thoroughly.
- Space peony plants 3-4 feet apart to allow them plenty of room to grow
If you plant your peonies in area with depleted soils, heavy clay soils and/or highly acidic (low pH) soils, never fear, you can still grow beautiful peonies once you take the proper steps to amend the soil in the new peony planting area. This means adjusting the soil’s pH to the proper level by adding adequate organic material to deficient soils so that the peonies will be provided with long-term nourishment.
The first signs of new growth! This is always so exciting when new shoots begin to make their way about the ground. It happens in the middle of June each year, and somehow I am always delighted to see them!
What a lovely day! I will never get sick of these views. Capturing both the moon and a rainbow over the peony fields just makes it even more special!
These flowers are ready for harvest. This is one of the most exciting times of the year for us! Walking up and down these rows at the beginning of harvest sometimes feels a bit like a treasure hunt. We are Looking for those bright pops of colour letting you know they are ready to be picked.
Some see a weed, others see a wish. These beautiful full bloom peonies are simply irresistible.
Harvest time! We've got Coral Sunset, Red Charm, Duchesse de Nemours, Chippewa, Inspecteur Lavergne, Bridal Gown, Dinner Plate, Festiva Maxima and Sarah Bernhardt.
During the harvest, Sarah (daughter #3) stops for a photo op and posed with some of her favourite flowers - Sarah Bernhardt! Don’t they both look cute?! Also ft. Duchesse de Nemours).
We're stripping off the leaves and making them ready before putting them in the box for shipment.
One of my favourite parts of the year. We often end up with too many flowers to fit in the chiller, especially if we have a very hot, sunny day and the flowers open up too quickly. This means that between being picked in the field and arriving at the shed, they have bloomed. This unfortunately means that we can’t send them out to customers, but sometimes I find myself selfishly glad when this happens as it means I get to keep them for myself.
Some of our lovely peony flowers just waiting to be taken home by one lucky customer!
Chillers being lifted in - we need these to ensure your flowers arrive to you fresh and just ready to open up and share their beauty.
Preparing these beauties for shipment. These lovely flowers will arrive to the lucky customers within 2-4 business days.