Mailing Address/Office:
Hidden Springs Flower Farm
813 Elm St.
Anoka, MN 55303-2823

Frequently Asked Questions

How are my plants prepared for my order? What are bare root peonies and why do I get them in the fall? Can I add to my order? When can I expect to receive my peonies? When is the last date to order peonies? Why can't I order after the deadline before shipping is done? Will my plants bloom next spring? How big are the roots you ship?

How are my plants prepared for my order? Bare root peonies from Hidden Springs Flower Farm start right here as peony plants grown in our own fields. To get you the freshest roots possible we run a tight schedule. At 5 pm on August 15th we add the last minute orders to the master list of pre-ordered peonies for our mail order customers. We have two lists; one is the customer list with the plants they have ordered and the other is the master digging list telling us how many plants we need of each variety. We assemble our digging schedule with quantities needed and field rows to dig from and prepare our field clump tags. The next day if it isn't raining hard we go to our first field and select the plants for digging and flag them double checking accuracy before we begin digging. We hand dig and tag each clump as it is dug. Nearly all the hundreds of ordered plants are dug in one or two days. These plants then have the green tops removed and are allowed to rest over night in a shady location. The crew rests that night too! The next day we begin washing and cleaning all the roots which takes a day or two. Each clump is then divided by hand, cut and the roots carefully trimmed. They are counted, graded and put in a labeled container before they go to a cool, dark storage area. The cutting, trimming and grading takes about 4 long days. We then print labels based on our root counts and carefully tag each root. Brigitte assembles and pulls your order checking them off as your order tray is filled. Once completed it goes to Harvey for a second check to make sure each root is healthy, has a tag and they are what you ordered. Brigitte rechecks the order as it is packed, puts in a copy of your order, growing instructions, and your mailing and tracking label are affixed and your package is sealed. The package then goes to the truck for transport to the post office where it is weighed, checked in and the tracking system activated. Your bare root peonies are on their way to you just days after leaving their home in the field. If you have an active e-mail account that does not block our messages we send you a note that your package has left the Post Office and is on its way with your USPS tracking number. Back To Questions^ What are bare root peonies and why do I get them in the fall? Bare root peonies are fresh dug from our fields as described and are packed without soil since they will be going directly into your garden. Peonies make their best roots in the fall and that is the best time for planting them. Instructions are included with your order. Back To Questions^ Can I add to my order? Yes, you may add to your order until the last day for ordering if a variety is still available. Some varieties do sell out so don't wait if you really have your heart set on a particular variety. Back To Questions^ When can I expect to receive my peonies? We use Priority Mail and have two shipping dates to allow a backup date for unfavorable local weather conditions. Our goal is to get all peony roots shipped before September 15th or very close to that if we are delayed by weather. Please have your garden ready for them! Back To Questions^ When is the last date to order peonies? For the current shipping season the deadline to order is August 15th. This allows us time to get you your orders to you on time for fall planting. Please allow extra time if you are mailing in your order. Orders received after we begin digging will be filled if stock is on hand or returned. Please call or send an e-mail if you are mailing in an order less than 5 days before our deadline of August 15th so that we can confirm the availability of the plants you are ordering. You can begin ordering from next years offerings as soon as they are listed online in the late fall, sometimes as early as October. Our offerings rotate from year to year allowing time for the peony roots to mature. If you are using an old listing it will not guarantee shipment the following year as we rotate between the 600 different varieties we grow. Back To Questions^ Why can't I order after the deadline before shipping is done? The short answer is that it is the only way we can get your roots to you on time. We receive many compliments for getting the roots out early in the season with plenty of time for planting and rooting in the fall. Our past experience is that being kind and taking late orders just did not satisfy our customers needs. We want happy customers and so encourage timely ordering. We reserve all prepaid plants as soon as your order is received and stop sale when our supplies are exhausted. Our digging schedule is tight and we set the number of clumps we need dug to yield enough first quality roots to fill our orders. After our children are back to school Brigitte and I are the main work force then. As soon as the mail orders are shipped we kick into high gear and begin replanting our own fields with help from the kids on weekends before the ground freezes or the cold rains start. We are in a part of the world where freezing can occur in September and it is just no fun to be out in the cold and wet when we have other chores to finish in the fall. Back To Questions^ Will my plants bloom next spring? Even after planting thousands and thousands of peonies I consider first year bloom a gift. Some varieties are better than others. The saying; First year sleeper, second year creeper, third year leaper applies quite well to peonies as the difference in bloom color and shape improves so much once the plant has grown a strong healthy new root system. Back To Questions^ How big are the roots you ship? We ship nice roots we would be happy to receive with 3 - 5 eyes for all varieties we sell including hybrids. We have many repeat customers that tell us how happy they are with their plants. Peony root size depends in part also on the particular variety. Some produce monster roots and others wimpy looking roots that still produce fine husky looking plants. You can order with confidence as we have over 30 years of peony growing experience and are happy to answer any questions you have once you receive your roots. Back To Questions^