De Mare Pioenen

“My name is Cees, and I grow peonies on the land where my father once started,” he explains. “My father had two hectares of his own and leased one more. When my father was about to sell the land, I started getting the itch to take it over.”

Cees consulted his friend Bert, an experienced peony grower. “I asked him: should I grow carrots or beets? But he said: there’s not much money in that. Start with peonies, I’ll guide you.” And that’s how, eight years ago, Cees’s peony adventure began.

A true family business

What Cees does, he doesn’t do alone. “Without my wife and kids, I couldn’t do this,” he says matter-of-factly. “My wife, son, and daughter all help out. My daughter now has a full-time job, but she still helps on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.”

Quality over quantity

Cees started with half a hectare and now cultivates exactly one hectare of peonies. “And that’s enough. It has to stay fun,” he laughs. “This is something I do alongside my job. In recent years, I’ve reduced my working hours so I can spend more time on it.”

The work involved

There’s far more to it than a few weeks of harvesting. “There’s so much involved: weeding, putting up wind screens, pinching side buds—you name it. It keeps you busy.”

Special varieties and care for the product

Cees grows an impressive range of peonies: “We have Coral Sunset, Bowl of Cream, Mary E Nicholls, Colonel Owen Cousins, Paul M Wild, Brother Chuck, Old Faithful, Command Performance, Dinner Plate, and the absolute top variety: Etched Salmon.” That last one requires extra attention. “When it gets warm—23 or 24 degrees—you have to go through the field four or five times a day to harvest at just the right moment. Only then can you deliver top quality.”

Naturally grown, hand-tended where possible

Sustainability plays a key role in Cees’s approach. “We try to use as little spray as possible. Just once against weeds—the rest we do by hand. You couldn’t manage that with eight hectares, but with one, you can really give attention to every plant.”

A love for the craft

What matters most to Cees? “That the product is good. We don’t need eight hectares if it comes at the expense of quality. We do this with care, and it shows in the flowers.”

A beautiful story of dedication, craftsmanship, and family – exactly what MyPeony stands for.