Peony Farmers Try To Produce Successful Crops One Weird Alaska Winter At A Time

ANCHORAGE – The farmland in front of Rachel Christy’s Palmer home is brown and barren, with little patches of leftover snowfall claiming a corner spot by the treebank.

But underneath the ground are thousands of peony roots, waiting to spring up. Come May, Alaska Blooms Peony Farm will see a little color above ground, “little red spears coming up out of the soil,” Christy describes.

Or, at least, that’s what she’s hoping. The past few winters in Southcentral haven’t exactly been kind to peony farmers, Christy says. When it comes to growing them, snow is her best friend. It serves as insulation, keeping the soil at prime temperature for the peonies to bloom.

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