Island Stream Peonies

27/05/2026

We've had a stunning autumn. The garden is really beginning to settle in and trees are colouring up despite only being 4 and a half years old. It's incredible to think we were standing in a bare paddock 5 years ago thinking about starting this journey!!! Thanks so much to all our customers support this season 👍 all our postal divisions are long gone and our last delivery runs South are complete. We have another run of potted peonies going up to North Canterbury this weekend, so look forward to catching up with some more customers!!!
See you all soon!
Here's a couple of garden shots today...

09/05/2026

An extremely physically and mentally taxing April/may, digging, dividing, moving, and replanting, a section of Tree Peonies. (Over 120 trees lifted)
We are still smiling, (and talking), ready to get tree divisions out to customers!
An apology to all our followers who received the catalogue and had issues, I am so sorry, and really hadn't anticipated there could be so many issues with opening it! We've had help over night and hope you all now have it emailed in some state of readability. We will be absolutely going to a website from here on in! As we mentioned we will continue to offer new varieties each season, working methodically to organise the trees into more organised and wider rows.
Please continue to be patient with us, we are really trying to work through all the emails asap! I take my hat off to all you techy, computer IT wizards, I wouldn't change from being a plant geek / gardener for all the money in the world!

Happy Mother's Day!!!
All the best, Doug and Toni.

30/04/2026

Perfection!!! We have been digging and dividing these today, not long now till we can send out our list, we are aiming for late next week...

We present to you our first Award of Distinction winner, Perfection!

'Perfection' is a woody peony from the Lutea Hybrid Group. Selected and grown by Derek Irvine, the plant was grown from seed originating from a cross of 'Black Forest' x 'Rosalind Elsie Franklin', which Bill Seidl made in the 1990’s. In 2001 it was introduced and registered by Jane and Trevor Sutherland of Kinamaru, New Zealand under the name 'Perfection'.

The cultivar serves as a prime example of Bill Seidl’s hybridizing work with advanced generation lutea hybrids. This cultivar is celebrated for its excellent plant habit, stunning clear color, and remarkable flower form. Appropriately named, the cultivar has a cream base color which is heavily, and variably, overlaid with red and coral pigments (difficult to describe). Flowers are semi-double and are carried in an upright position on sturdy stems, which is fairly unique within the Lutea Hybrid Group. Petals are curved, notched and ruffled to create a very full presentation.

Stem hardiness is better than average in the coldest climates in which Lutea Hybrids are grown. Adult height may be 4 ½ feet and plants may attain a width of more than 5 feet. Plants are annually productive bloomers and are reliable in their growth. Foliage is deep green and leaflets are spaced beautifully along the petioles. Due to outstanding plant habits, this cultivar is suitable for landscape purposes – in or out of bloom.

For the hybridizer, 'Perfection' is fertile both ways with compatible parents. Plants are of easy culture and may be grafted with minimal effort. In warmer locations, rapid growth may allow for “own root” divisions.

07/04/2026

A much needed wet Easter here in Maheno, and perfect for the upcoming lifting mission!

A snapshot of some of the Tree Peonies we will be lifting and dividing nearer to the end of this month...
Better make sure we have you on our email list if you want to see this season's divisions, we will be sending this out within the next fortnight!!!

26/03/2026

We're home! Our field work for the season is all completed, so it's back into the garden for some much needed love. We have had some amazing trips from Deep in Fiordland to the upper West Coast of the North. So lucky to get to work in our amazing backyard with a lot of very cool people!!!

We will be starting work on our Tree Peonies next week and suss out this year's division list soon. We will get this list out as soon as possible to all that have requested.

10/01/2026

Toni and I are really excited about the future of Island Stream Peonies, building and growing the nursery.
We still need to work our day jobs to maintain and grow our vision, hence we're basically AWOL from the nursery 6 months of each year. Our job does have many bonuses such as delicious sunrises and sunsets, but really, we live for all our amazing flora and fauna.

Thanks so much for your support so far, looking forward to a colourful future!

10/01/2026

Happy new year! We've been busy at home over the Xmas break, trying to get some w**d control and building a 2nd shade house for seedlings and future divisions. Back at our ecology contracting work now so our garden and plants will have to look after themselves for the next few months... Thankfully we have some awesome neighbours that watch over everything and our lovely dog!

05/12/2025

Just in now!
PERENNIAL SALE - One Day Only!!!
Oamaru Farmers Market this Sunday 7th December!!!

We have an overflow of perennials that we can't nurture through this summer, and we need to make room for new treasures!
So we have just now organised a one off Farmers Market site this Sunday, and have an amazing selection of perennials at massive price cuts! Come get some bargains for the garden or Xmas presents! Love to see you, Merry Xmas!

Please note, most photos below have been quickly borrowed from Google images to give you a rush on some of the plants we have on sale!

05/12/2025

Solemnity has to be my favourite Tree Peonies,
(😂 said that a few times), one of the last to come into growth and flower, with buds still to come. Such a stunning colour. Still a few odd flowers in the peony fields... TB iris are still going strong and Lillies not far away... Enjoy!

06/11/2025

Another stunning day ahead, so much colour in the garden today! Sorry for the picture overload! The Iris Ensata are all the wonderful creations of Mika Brown and Hamish Brown, we are very lucky to home these plants as part of their amazing breeding program!