When my husband and I got married in July, 2007, purchasing peonies wasn’t an option. They were out of season. But I remember seeing Anchorage gardens full of the ruffly, aromatic blooms in July. I ended up using someone’s garden peonies for my own bouquet.

It wasn’t until August 2013 when I was leafing through an Alaska Airlines Magazine that I learned how unique Alaska peonies really are.

Peony farms have since sprouted up all over the state from Nenana to Homer and have cornered the global peony market from mid to late summer.

I recently had the opportunity to take a tour of Alaska Blooms Peony Farm and learn about these special flowers from owner Rachel Christy.

My son and I embarked on a rainy Sunday outside the city of Wasilla to a cabin where thousands of peony buds were growing in the front lot.

We were greeted warmly by Rachel and her niece, Harper.

This is Rachel’s sixth year growing commercial peonies. She became a peony farmer after attending a peony growers’ conference in 2011.

“I went to this garden conference and I thought it was for gardeners but it was really a farmers’ conference, a growers’ conference,” Rachel said. “And I got in there and realized this was about a crop, not just how to grow a nice peony, and so then it just hatched. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

She and her family decided to convert their lakeside cabin into a peony farm. It wasn’t easy, she said.

“It takes a lot of determination because it’s a lot of work,” Rachel said. “It was so hard for us to plant 1,000 [peony plants]. We have 3,500 here and it was so hard to get them planted – to get that done properly, mulch it properly, get the irrigation down.”

But all that work is paying off. Last year her farm sold 5,000 peony blooms and she’s hoping for even more this year.

It’s evident that Rachel is proud of her peonies.

“Every time I walk down my center aisle to come back to the farm I just stop and think, ‘It’s like Christmas.’”

Rachel grows several varieties of peonies such as Monsieur Jules Elie, Kansas, Festiva and Duchess.

Alaska Blooms sells only 25 percent of their harvest locally. The rest is shipped to wholesalers and florists in the Lower 48. But it’s the Alaska brides who prefer the bright, colorful varieties. The rest of the states go for the classic white, Rachel said.

Many of her blooms are now ready to be harvested and sent to a commercial pack house in Anchorage, where they get graded, packed, stored, and shipped.

Picking the buds at just the right time is a skill.

“It’s really kind of nerve-wracking,” Rachel said. “I try and get them when they’re soft.” If they are picked too late, they could open during shipping and that means florists won’t have time to arrange them for an event.

But if picked at the right time, the buds can sit in a cooler for four to five weeks before opening. Rachel and her family will harvest all their peony blooms by mid-July but will store them in the cooler until they sell out toward the end of August.

Although she sells most of her peonies to wholesalers and florists, she also sets up shop at the Wasilla Wednesday Market and plans to distribute to Aurora Village Carrs in Anchorage.

Rachel has some tips for extending the life of your fresh-cut peonies.

First, if you’re picking them for an event and you need them to stay closed, store them in a fridge, but be sure to remove your fruits and vegetables first.

“You have to be careful about what is in your fridge,” Rachel said. “Apples emit ethylene and that causes the peonies to open.”

Rachel suggests keeping your cut peonies in the fridge for 24 hours before arranging them. “You’ll get a longer vase life,” she said.

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The biggest party of the year is in downtown Anchorage on New Years Eve. Approximately 7,000 – 10,000 people gather around Town Square on December 31st to ring in the New Year and enjoy the festivities (kicking off at 5:00 PM). Opportunities for all ages entertainment include live music from I Love Robots and Big Fat Buddha, beats by DJ GRE, light shows, two beer gardens hosted by Humpy’s Bar and the Avenue Bar featuring celebratory libations for the 21 and over crowd, classic carnival games and hot cocoa for the kiddos, food trucks, and FIREWORKS! It’s a fantastically fun (and FREE!) way to spend your New Year’s Eve.

These are my can’t miss moments:

1. More than 1,200 pounds of fireworks detonating directly overhead!  Fireworks are launched in front of the Whale Wall on E Street, which means that if you’re partying in Town Square or any of the surrounding buildings you’ll have a front row seat for a spectacular show (I’ve been told it’s going to be bigger, brighter, and better than ever before!). The fireworks start at 8:00 PM.
2. A menagerie… with a MINI HORSE!

Lambs, pigs, and ducks – oh my! The goats and a calf are pretty darn cute too. Swing by 5th Ave between E & F Street until 7pm for a dose of sweet baby animal love.

3. Spotting a fictional English spy

Rumor has it that a James Bond look-a-like of the Daniel Craig variety will be pre-partying at Town Square before he heads over to the License to Thrill party at the Sheraton (think he’ll make a Spectre of himself?). Faux celebrity spotting is always fun and seriously, can you tell the difference? Might as well snag a selfie with 007 (if you can find him, that is!)

4. FIRE! 

Not just fireworks: fire dancing, fire throwing, and fire juggling. Nothing lights up the night like a bit of flame being thrown about! Bask in the glow while you marvel at the artistry – with a dash of daredevilry – on display.

I hope you enjoy the party! Cheers to a happy New Year, and see you all in 2016!

For more information about the New Year’s Eve Celebration, visit www.AnchorageDowntown.Org. And if you’re still looking for the perfect way to spend New Year’s Eve, Alaska Dispatch pulled together a roundup of events happening around town. Cheers!

Gretchen Fauske blogs at GretchenLovesAnchorage and volunteers for the Anchorage Downtown Partnership. She spent her childhood NYEs competing with her brother to see who could stand barefoot in the snow the longest while holding a sparkler.

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Sidthisak Kaybounthome sits behind the wheel of his cab, idling in a parking lot across the street from the terminal at Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport.

He blasts the heat. Outside, the temperature hovers around 25 degrees below zero — not unusual for winters in Barrow, the northernmost town in the country. But Kaybounthome hasn’t seen many winters this far north.

Not too long ago he was a monk at Wat Lao, Mountain View’s Buddhist temple.

He told me his story as we drove along the Arctic Ocean coast, past frozen buildings and bleached whale bones blanketed in drifting snow.

Monkhood was a calling he followed for most of his life, ever since he became a novice at age 11, he said. When he moved to Anchorage in 2000, he helped build Wat Lao into the complex it is today. His work consumed his life. When you are a monk, you give all your time to others, he said. There’s not much time for family. And that’s why he quit.

His elderly mother still lives in Laos, thousands of miles away, and he wanted to earn more to support her, he said. In 2013, he left Wat Lao and took a job at Prudhoe Bay. The oilfields weren’t for him, so he packed his bags and moved further north to Barrow to drive a cab. There’s more business there than in Anchorage, he said.

It’s not like Mountain View and it’s nothing like Laos, but he’s learning to call it home.

“I can live anywhere,” he said.

This microprofile originally appeared on Mountain View Post.

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An Arctic Valley Love Story:

Sarah and Ben are laid back, adventurous and love the outdoors.  With a large amount of out of town guests Alpenglow Lodge was a wonderful option to feel isolated and centered in a pristine Alaskan setting while still being easy to get to and have amenities like yummy catering and indoor reception space.  We used lots of birch wood, wildflowers and accented with a navy, magenta and ivory color palette.  The trick with a venue like this is letting the scenery take center stage and then make small design choices to accentuate the beauty!  And having a wonderful photographer, like Sugar Six Photography, to capture it all is a must!

Coordination and Design: Blomma Designs  Photography: Sugar Six Photography  Floral: Bloomsbury Blooms  Ceremony: St. Andrew’s Catholic Church  Reception: Alpenglow Lodge  Catering: Master’s Catering   Cake: Midnight Sun Cakery  Decor: Special Events Alaska

A Big Lake Bash:

Lindsey and Reid are the epitome of a fun loving and sophisticated couple!  They have extremely good taste and Lindsey wanted her wedding to be country rustic, but still remain beautiful.  The outdoor setting offered a backdrop with gorgeous lake views and we even saw Denali poke through on their wedding day.  Bright simple florals, a DIY s’mores bar and a fun photo booth with props made this wedding a bash worth remembering.  The groom and groomsmen even took a “dip” in the lake when we were wrapping up the festivities!

Coordination and Styling: Blomma Designs  Photography: Paul Dudley Photography  Floral: Bloomsbury Blooms  Tents and Specialty Decor: Special Events Alaska  Ceremony and Reception: Sunset View Resort  Photo Booth: Photo Booth of Anchorage

A Homer love story:

Well hey, this is yours truly.  My husband and I wanted to have a wedding that was small in size but big on fun.  Homer is one of our favorite places on earth so naturally we thought it was perfect for our wedding.  Bishop’s Beach made our ceremony breathtaking and a visit to the Salty Dawg for Honey Whiskey was a necessity to celebrate after.  We rented private cabins because we didn’t want to adhere to any rules, like a time limit, and had a good ol’ time dancing with friends and family into the wee hours of the morning.  Homer is relaxed and gorgeous.  Two very important words when planning your Alaskan wedding!

Coordination and Design: Blomma Designs  Photography: Alaska Photography and Design  Ceremony: Bishop’s Beach  Reception: Alaska Adventure Cabins  Catering: Master’s Catering  Cake and Desserts: Two Sister’s Bakery  Makeup: Alaska Makeup Team

 Captain Crazy Ray and His Fisherwoman:

Brenda and Captain Crazy Ray are really the essence of a true Alaskan couple.  They spend their summers in Whittier chartering their fishing business, Crazy Ray’s Adventures, and spend the rest of the year hunting, four wheeling, snow machining and having other adventures.  This was a styled shoot and we collaborated with Alaska Photography and Design, Bagoy’s and Alaska Makeup Team to create a wedding that would ring true with all Alaskans.  Birch wood, halibut sized fish hooks, Xtra Tuffs, salmon chocolate and fishing off of the dock.  It doesn’t get better than this!

Inspiration and Styling: Blomma Designs  Photgraphy: Alaska Photography and Design  Floral: Bagoy’s  Makeup: Alaska Makeup Team  Models: Captain Crazy Ray and Brenda of Crazy Ray’s Adventures  Chocolates: Hot Hot Chocolate Shop Erin Velander owns Blomma Designs, a local wedding planning and event design company based in Anchorage with a passion for Alaska, pretty things and creativity.

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