THE PEONIES
Hello! We are Eugenia Harris and David Nicewicz and we're the peony growers at Nicewicz Family Farm in Bolton, Massachusetts. Eugenia's a software engineer turned flower farmer - who weirdly lives in Austin, Texas - and David's a real farmer who doesn't even have an email account. We planted the first peonies at the farm in 2001 and have been expanding ever since. We now have about 2000 plants, representing more than 100 different varieties.
The team also includes Stacey Lee of Paeonia Designs in Framingham (@paeoniadesigns on instagram and facebook), and Kim Brown of Bolton, both of whom have deep experience in the floral industry, and neiter of whom we could possibly function without! Besides farming, Stacey gives lectures and workshops on sustainable floristry, gardening, and peonies, and can be reached by email at stacey@paeoniadesigns.com.
Our peonies usually bloom starting in late May, and continue through about the second or third week of June, for a total of about 3 weeks, or possibly even 4 weeks in years when the weather is “just right” (not too hot, not too wet).
Key takeaway: PEONY SEASON IS SHORT!
We sell the peonies as specialty cut flowers in season, both at our farmstand in Bolton, and via special arrangement with a few select florists. In past years the peony fields were open to the public for guided walks, but those days appear to be gone because peony season is just too short and too hectic for us to keep up. (We do have an ongoing need for volunteers however, so that is one way to still get in!)
The Farm
Nicewicz Family Farm has been in David's family since 1929, when it was purchased by his father's parents, shortly after they immigrated to the U.S. from Poland. David and his three brothers Tommy, Kenny and Alan run the farm now, with help from various family and friends, including sister Jo-Ann, Tommy’s partner Lorraine, resident artist Chath pierSath from Cambodia, close friend Kim Brown of Bolton, and long-time family friend Dave Joki formerly of Stow.
The farm's primary crops are fruit (apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, blueberries, and occasionally even apricots and cherries); market produce (corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, basil, onions, pumpkins, gourds, etc.); and flowers (peonies of course, and usually celosia, dahlias, strawflowers, sunflowers and zinnias) - all of which are sold locally at the farm and at a few Boston-area farmers' markets.
The farm's season kicks off with peonies in May/June, and then resumes in mid-late July with blueberries and peaches and all the rest, capped by pick-your-own apples and peaches (and hayrides!) in the fall.
Oh and Nicewicz is pronounced NISH-WAY!