Meet the Swensons

We are Keith and Becky Swenson of Howard Lake, Minnesota, and we run Swenson Gardens. We grow peonies on our property in Delano and in Howard Lake, not far from Minneapolis, and organically nurture and sell them through the mail and over the internet.

When our peonies are in ripest bloom, our children, Britta, 13, and Luke, 11, hand-pick the best blossoms and sell them through local florists and wholesale markets as cut flowers. The kids and our wonderful team of workers help with weeding, planting, and washing the roots when it’s time for digging, dividing and shipping to you. Becky handles all the day-to-day aspects of the business and Keith takes care of the mechanical responsibilities. Swenson Gardens peonies are grown with tender loving care. No chemicals are used on our peonies. All plants are grown organically, just as God intended.

In 2007, we moved some of our peonies from Delano to our new farm in Howard Lake. It was a joy to expand our business across the 40 acres of rich black soil, and the peonies love it! Because of the additional field preparation required for our eco-friendly plants, we postponed our garden tours until this season. Don’t miss seeing our fields in full bloom! Come visit us this spring!

 

How Swenson Gardens Began

Years ago, we fell in love with the color, fragrance, and foliage of peonies, but grew discouraged by the limited varieties (usually “red,” “pink,” and “white”) available in garden stores.

We painstakingly researched peony varieties, searching for those offering superior attributes. Color was important, but we also looked for plants with extended bloom times, stout stems, and crisp, clean foliage for landscaping appeal.

We found wondrous peonies that you’ll never find in a garden store! Peonies with stems strong enough to hold up their own, heavy heads. Peonies in colors and shades you might expect of roses: corals, lavenders, marbles, russets, even yellows.

We brought these exotic peonies home and nurtured them in our fields. From other growers, you may be able to purchase test-tube grown and immature plants that take years to develop and bloom fully. But we committed ourselves to the old-fashioned, slower way of growing peonies because it gives you the highest quality roots. Each of our plants is a division of original, three-year-old, field-grown stock. This means you get a more developed plant and impressive results in your garden faster.