Swenson Gardens
Swenson Gardens is now open for 2026! Our online store only accepts US based addresses for shipping. Please email us if you have an international shipping address and are interested in purchasing our peonies.
Swenson Gardens is truly a family affair! Love for peonies came from their grandparents many years ago. The Swenson family love arose after seeing the vibrant yellow color of Bartzella in bloom, a plant that still stands to be a family favorite. In 2002, they planted their first commercial bare-root peonies on 1 ½ acres of leased land. After five years of caring for the plants and learning more about the market, they decided to cast a bigger vision. In 2007, they purchased a 40-acre farm near Howard Lake, Minnesota where they now nurture thousands of peony plants in hundreds of different varieties. Growing peonies without chemicals, fungicides, and pesticides has been a mainstay of their business since the beginning. Now, Swenson Gardens is considered the largest chemical-free peony grower and hybridizer of new peonies. Plenty of hard work and love goes into growing peonies the natural way, God’s way.
Hybridizing new peony varieties is a tedious process. Pure pollination hybridizing is all done by a steady hand and NOT by honeybees. We collect pollen from both registered varieties with the American Peony Society and some of our new exclusive varieties. That pollen is then labeled, applied to our pod parents and bagged so that cross is not contaminated by honeybees. We go to great lengths to make sure all our crosses are pure and recorded as such in our database. Our generations of new varieties are unique masterpieces, and have never been seen, smelled and sold in the US and international marketplaces. Some growers are taking shortcuts by collecting seeds pollinated by honeybees and then registering and/or selling as new peonies. This process of open pollination or gathering seeds from any pod parent and then naming, shortchanges all the pure pollen hybridizers from the past, present and future.
Years before the first peony blooms appear, Swenson Gardens begins preparing the soil of the new fields. It all starts with the cows. The herd of Dexters, known as the Fertilizer Production Team, is the source of the composted manure that is first applied over the hay fields. Then a mixture of gypsum and Milorganite is spread before the ground is plowed under. A cover crop is planted and the same materials are applied again before the soil is plowed for the last time. Finally, planting can commence. Using this sustainable, chemical-free fertilization technique welcomes micronutrients and microorganisms into the soil. That is a good thing, because chemical fertilizers only address what happens above ground and repeated applications can create sterile soil. Taking care of our precious dirt provides the best possible growing site for the bare root peonies and means years of beautiful peony enjoyment for you!
What do you get when you buy a peony from Swenson Gardens? We sell only bare root peonies, which are shipped and planted in the fall. Bare root peonies grow faster, are more disease resistant, and adapt much more quickly to your soil than potted plants sold in garden and home centers. You can expect from us a freshly dug and well-formed root, featuring at least 4 eyes. Everything we sell is from original rootstock, which produces the healthiest plants. No cheap, tissue-culture roots are ever sold through Swenson Gardens.
Late August is digging season! Our crew carefully digs plants that are 3-5 years old and the roots are washed and cut in to sections, called divisions. Each division is individually tagged with the variety name. To make planting easier, a red rubber band is also attached to the stems of intersectionals, which indicates the proper soil depth for your USDA zone. This feature is a Swenson Gardens exclusive. Your root is then carefully packed in moist peat moss, boxed, and shipped via Priority Mail or another expedited method.
Planting your bare root peony is not difficult, but it does take some effort to do the job right. The time and energy invested will reward you with a healthy plant, lovely foliage, and gorgeous blooms for decades. Click here for written planting instructions or click here for our video “How To Plant Peonies”. If you live in USDA zones 2-4, mulching is needed to protect your first year peony before its first winter. This step is not needed in the warmer climates of USDA zones 5-8.
In 2013, Swenson Gardens purchased all of Roger F. Anderson’s herbaceous hybrid, Lactiflora, intersectional hybrid, and tree peony seedlings. Roger has been their mentor and friend since 1998, and it is truly an honor to carry on his work. Their goal is to produce more beautiful and spectacular peony varieties by building on his foundation of 50+ years of hybridizing. Daniel Zabel, an employee of Swenson Gardens for more than 15+ years, is following in Roger’s footsteps by carrying his seedlings to the next generation. Anderson, R.F./Swenson Gardens and Swenson Gardens new varieties are available internationally and in the United States.
The Swensons enjoy sharing their love of peonies! They offer educational presentations for garden clubs at the novice or expert level, as well as private tours during peak bloom season. If you are a part of a club, and would like to learn more about these beautiful flowers, contact Becky at info@swensongardens.com to schedule a presentation or tour.
The Swensons are grateful to be part of a long line of hardworking farmers across Minnesota. In 2019 they were recognized as the Farm Family of the Year for Wright County. This award is given by the University of Minnesota Extension to honor farm families across the state for their contributions to the agriculture industry and their local communities.