Aspelund Peony Gardens

‘Tis the season for peonies. After the lilacs finish blooming next comes the peonies to enjoy.

I have a couple of peony bushes in my yard. I love the shape and color and smell of them, and I always cut a few stems to have in the house. But the flowers, like lilacs, do not stay blooming for long.

So I was glad to be reminded on a friend’s blog site, Minnesota Prairie Roots, that the peonies were in bloom at Aspelund Peony Gardens, near Aspelund, MN, about a half hour from Northfield. It was a beautiful afternoon so we took a drive to have a look.

The gardens were full. As with many flowers, there are a lot of varieties and colors of peonies. It is amazing. We took our time to stop and smell the flowers and “ouu and ahh” over each color and variation.

A tire swing from a tall old tree. I was focused on peonies so I didn’t look to see what kind of tree it is. But it was fun to see it being used by children.

There is also a winery on site but we did not stay for a sample…it was a very busy place and all the outdoor seating was taken, so we passed. 

I took a lot of photos…too many photos to share. The proprietors have a list of each variety of peony they grow on their property. The intention is for you to identify which kind you would like to purchase. Then the chosen bush stays in the garden until fall when you go pick it up and transplant it into your own yard.

The grapevines.

But they welcome all visitors. We chose just to simply walk through the peony gardens, and meander in the wide-open yard taking in the vast country views. It was a sunny and pleasant day… a wonderful time to delight in the beauty of the outdoors. 

10 thoughts on “Aspelund Peony Gardens”

  1. So beautiful. Thanks for sharing these pictures and thoughts. We also had peonies in our garden as a child and we transplanted one from Jim’s parent’s lake home which we had in Burnsville. Jessica has a transplant from that one at her home now. Wonderful how those plants keep on going.

    1. So fun to know Jessie has a peony from Jim’s parents…just like my lilac story.
      Happy Birthday to you today!

  2. So glad you got over to Aspelund and saw those gorgeous peonies. Thank you for sharing your photos. Our friends were there on Sunday. And from the photo she sent, it looked very busy. We were fortunate in that, although busy, it was not super busy when we visited. Thus we stayed for wine flights.

    1. It didn’t seem busy in the gardens on Saturday afternoon, but the tables on the deck were full. It’s nice people are getting out.

  3. Valerie, What a beautiful blog! My peonies are past their peak as the strong winds and rains aren’t kind to them. But while blooming, I did bring some inside and so enjoy their fragrance and beauty. Love the peonies that you took pictures of. A friend of mine has yellow peonies which I’ve never seen before and love.

    1. I have seen yellow peonies…they are lovely too….the soft yellow…
      but then I like the white ones, but then the soft pink ones…o my.

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