Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Pal.
Hi Julie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started growing peonies as a young mom who had just moved back to Kansas. My mother gave me three plants from her own landscape and from my grandmother’s yard as a housewarming gift. For the next ten years, I enjoyed those plants and their beautiful spring fragrance. I grew many flowers and vegetables with varying success, but the peonies were always the most resilient, hardy, and meaningful—so I decided to grow more.
Over the following decade, I immersed myself in learning everything I could about peonies: how to grow them, harvest them, store them, and select special varieties. Eventually, that passion led me to start my own business, selling flowers and roots in both retail and wholesale markets.
What began as a simple love for a few inherited plants has truly become a passion project turned business—and I couldn’t love it more.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. The real learning happens in the mistakes, the challenges, the failures, and the successes. I’ve gained most of my knowledge about growing peonies—and flowers in general—through the setbacks I’ve experienced along the way.
One year, I planted 200 peony roots in the fall, but I planted far too shallow because I was afraid of planting them too deep. As a result, the freeze–thaw cycles of winter caused them all to heave out of the ground. I lost every root, along with an entire year of establishing mature plants. It was incredibly discouraging, but I learned a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
When I first started selling cut flowers, I was eager to get blooms out as early in spring as possible. The problem was that the buds simply weren’t ready and wouldn’t open. I learned the hard way that Mother Nature is always in charge—you can’t rush the natural world. I lost all of those stems that spring, but I’ve never made that mistake again.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My business centers around cut peonies, peony root sales, and peony-inspired cards and gifts. I sell fresh stems during the blooming season in May and June, offering bouquets through subscriptions as well as smaller arrangements in Whole Foods stores across Kansas City. I also supply local florists and designers through a Kansas City wholesale market.
I’m known for growing peonies—specifically. While I grow other flowers, my true expertise is in cultivating and providing exceptional peony blooms and roots. That narrow focus is what sets me apart. There are many talented flower growers in the Kansas City area, and we work together beautifully to provide fresh, local flowers to both retail and wholesale markets. My role within that larger community is distinct: peonies are my specialty.
I’m proud that I’ve kept my brand so focused. Staying dedicated to one plant has allowed me to remain clear on my goals, invest deeply in my expertise, and pour all of my energy into producing the best peonies possible.
While I’m most recognized for my mixed-variety peony bouquets and root sales, I also create card stock, photography, and gift items that offer a lasting way to enjoy the beauty of peonies long after the season has passed.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memories revolve around weekends spent on my grandparents’ farm. My sisters, cousins, and I would run wild, feeling completely free. I didn’t realize how special those moments were until I looked back as an adult.
We spent endless hours jumping from hay bale to hay bale, searching for barn cats in the loft, collecting eggs from the chicken house, riding in the combine with my Dad and uncles during wheat harvest, feeding the cows, and eating more fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cinnamon rolls than I could ever count.
I think those experiences—and my entire farm-rooted childhood—are what gave me this deep need to feel the earth and grow things.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://juliepalpeonies.com
- Instagram: @juliepalpeonies
- Facebook: @juliepalpeonies
- Youtube: @juliepalpeonies4471
