Peony Workshop

A Day Devoted to One of Nature’s Most Lavish Creations Saturday, June 6, 2025 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. As June opens its arms to the longest days, the fields simply gather themselves and give everything, and for a few weeks the air carries something close to extravagance. It is in this window — brief, unrepeatable, impossibly generous — that we invite you to spend a full day with us. A day organized entirely around the peony: how it grows, what it asks of the grower, and what it offers in return to anyone willing to look long enough. A Remarkable Presence This year, the afternoon takes shape around someone whose relationship with beauty is both hard-won and deeply instinctive. Christopher Spitzmiller — ceramicist, grower, and maker of objects that have quietly found their way into the White House and across the pages of Architectural Digest — joins us as our floral design leader. His glazed vessels are known for their particular radiance, a quality that seems lit from within. His flowers are the same. At his own Clove Brook Farm, where he grows flowers and hosts gatherings that feel both elegant and entirely natural, his approach has always been the same — work with what the season offers, and allow beauty to emerge without insistence. He's not arranging flowers so much as he's arranging a feeling. Morning in the Fields We begin where all genuine understanding of flowers begins — in the ground. Debra Kaye, founder of Bear Creek Farm, leads a walking exploration through the peonies at the height of their season — not as a lecture, but as an exercise in looking closely. We move through both traditional and experimental growing methods, speaking plainly about what works, what doesn't, and the variables that rarely make it into books: temperature shifts, spacing decisions, the particular patience required to let a plant find its form. Innovation, here, is less about technique than about staying curious. This is how we inform at Bear Creek: through observation made visible. Through a grower showing you not just what she knows but how she came to know it. A Midday Pause Between the fields and the design table, the day softens. Midday slows down on purpose. Lunch is laid out under open sky, and the farm — for an hour or so — becomes less a place of instruction than a place to simply sit within. Afternoon with Christopher Spitzmiller The afternoon belongs to composition — and to the particular kind of freedom that comes from working with abundance. Christopher leads a demonstration grounded in his own philosophy: that arrangement is discovery, not execution. That a flower brought in from the field carries its own logic, its own direction, and that the arranger's task is less to impose structure than to find it. He composes the way a good sentence is written — with instinct. After his demonstration, you will work with peonies and complementary materials gathered from the farm to build an arrangement of your own. There is guidance when you want it and space when you need it. What the Day Holds A walking exploration of Bear Creek Farm at the fullest moment of peony season. A frank and detailed conversation about cultivating peonies from root to bloom — including what works, what doesn't, and what remains genuinely open. A floral design demonstration with Christopher Spitzmiller. A hands-on arranging session with personal guidance. A professional setting in which to photograph your work before you carry it home. Included in the day: an abundant selection of peonies and supporting flowers, all arranging materials including a compote and knife, breakfast and lunch, a take-home reference guide, and an exclusive discount toward 2026 Bear Creek Farm dahlia tubers. The class size is deliberately small — small enough that the day remains thoughtful, supported, and entirely your own. Who This Day Is For You don't need credentials. You need curiosity. Whether you're a floral designer looking to work differently, a gardener with a particular soft spot for peonies, or someone who simply wants to spend a day more attentively in the presence of beautiful things — there's a place for you here. We grow flowers by observation. We teach the same way. Come ready to look. Details Full day workshop is $595.00. Class size is strictly limited to allow for personalized attention in an environment that is small and supportive. For FAQ regarding workshops, please go to resources on the website. Referral Discount When you and a friend sign up together, we will extend a 10% off discount to each of you! Email us at info@bearcreekfarm.com for more info.