Simple Start with a Lavish Result: Peonies in Perpetuity

Author Hillary Munro and her children, Sawyer and Miller, enjoy an afternoon together on Bressler’s property, the home of Fish Creek Peonies. | Photo: Lisa Flood

Ten years ago, an unsightly dirt patch greeted Kathy Bressler’s new front door in Jackson Hole. Upon completion of her new home, a 1/15 acre of loose dirt covered her septic system. While spreading native grass seed was what many professionals suggested as an easy solution to cover the unsightly swath, Bressler had a different plan. “I decided to plant some peonies,” Bressler says. “I thought it would be a fun experiment.”

A decade later, she has planted 70 peonies—25 different varieties—at her home on the banks of Fish Creek. Once the flowers are in bloom, eager locals ride rickety bicycles or drive their vehicles down her charming street in Wilson, Wyoming, to Fish Creek Peonies in hopes of snatching up gorgeous blooms.

Bressler’s front porch acts as an honor system flower bar, where locals drop money in a tin for a beautiful fresh peony bouquet. | Photo: Lisa Flood

On any given day, Bressler will cut 60-80 stems, assembling them into bouquets and placing them in galvanized buckets on the covered porch alongside found birds’ nests and various collected objects from nature. While you can pre-order an arrangement, Bressler has built an honor-system flower bar, with blooms available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bressler admits that this has been a rewarding and meaningful journey. After sourcing from the American Peony Society, she got to work planting from bare root, which can take up to three years to bloom—but, once established, each plant can produce up to 40 flowers per season. Peonies thrive in colder climates such as the Mountain West (Wyoming is zone 3 and 4), take well to hot dry weather, and require little irrigation.

A picnic of homemade blackberry hand pies is enjoyed among the peonies. | Photo: Lisa Flood

“Any place a weed lives, plant a peony,” she says. A few of her favorite varieties include Princess Waucedah and Midnight Serenal, but she confesses to loving them all, as each has its own beauty. It is her greatest pleasure to share the beauty of nature with her community. Rooted in the magic of life out West, Bressler is no stranger to hard work. In 1980 she founded Cattle Kate, a coveted Western fashion brand she began by sewing wild rags in her basement.

Kathy Bressler has long been a pioneer and renaissance woman of the West, taking on jobs suited more to the rugged cowboy than a demure fashion designer. She spent many years working as a camp cook at a hunting camp, often treating a crowd of 12-15 to her handmade meals of fried chicken or meatloaf cooked over an open fire in the wilderness. If they were lucky, she would make fresh bread or a sweet pie.

A local biked to Bressler’s to grab several fresh bouquets for their dinner party. | Photo: Lisa Flood

As many old-timers say, summer in Jackson does not begin until July 1, which is when Bressler typically gets her first flower harvest. This is a practice in patience for many locals dreaming of her stunning flowers. Initially she invited customers to wander around her property selecting blooms individually; however, that caused unseen problems for the plants. What began as an experiment proved to have huge merit and admiration from the entire Jackson community. She hopes to share a bit of the beauty of nature and encourage others to bring flowers to their community. “We all need flowers,” Bressler says.

Munro fills her bucket with many varieties of peonies, including Bressler’s favorite, Princess Waucedah, which has a dark pink center that fades to a beautiful pale pink. | Photo: Lisa Flood

Peony Arrangment

To make your arrangement interesting, try including a few stems with leaves and unopened buds along with different colors of flowers. Keep the flowers fresh as long as possible by changing the water daily. When the flowers wilt, shrivel and eventually dry up, they remain beautiful. “I tend to keep them around long past their prime,” says Bressler.

Supplies

• Peony flowers
• Snips
• Vessel with cool water

For the most impact, keep peonies alone with no other flower to distract them. Remove any greenery that will be below the water line to reduce bacteria. Cut the stems at an angle to allow more water to absorb. As a general rule, your flowers should be one-and-a-half times the height of your container.

Homemade lemonade garnished with a sprig of mint is a refreshing treat on a hot afternoon in the garden. | Photo: Lisa Flood

Bressler assembles bouquets on her front porch. She fills galvanized buckets each morning for eager locals to come get the fresh blooms. They always sell out by the early afternoon. | Photo: Lisa Flood

Munro’s daughter, Sawyer, fills her bucket with a variety of peonies including Sarah Bernhardt, a favorite of many locals. | Photo: Lisa Flood

A Westward Ho bowl of blackberries adds Western flare to a picnic on the property. | Photo: Lisa Flood

Bressler in her peony garden snipping fresh blooms for her coveted bouquets enjoyed by the community. | Photo: Lisa Flood