As the flower world enters the short but vibrant blooming period of the peony flower, a Tasmanian grower's 30-year venture is coming to a close.

Key points: Over 30 years Peter Botting has grown to be one of the largest peony producers in Tasmania and at nearly 80, he is hanging up his secateurs.

Over 30 years Peter Botting has grown to be one of the largest peony producers in Tasmania and at nearly 80, he is hanging up his secateurs. Peonies originate in Asia, Europe and North America, thrive in cold Tasmanian conditions and blooms need to be picked twice a day during harvest.

Peonies originate in Asia, Europe and North America, thrive in cold Tasmanian conditions and blooms need to be picked twice a day during harvest. Migrants to Tasmania and new to flower growing, Mark and Tanya Beech have bought the peony business.

Peter Botting from Forth, northern Tasmania started growing peonies in 1987, as he wanted a perennial plant that did not need to be replaced often.

He has since built up one of the largest peony farms in Tasmania, home to over 100,000 plants and produces hundreds of thousands of flowers every year.

A pink peony at Peonietta in Tasmania's north-west. ( ABC Rural: Hugh Hogan )

"I didn't even know what a peony was!" Mr Botting said.

Time to pack it in

"All in all it's a very pleasant pastime … You're flat out for two or three months and the rest of the year you just dodge along," Mr Botting said.

After 27 years of hard work, Mr Botting has decided to sell the farm citing age, but said he could not have picked a better career.

"When you're pushing 80 you can't think ten years ahead," he said.

Peonies are native to Asia, Europe and North America and the flowers are highly regarded for their considerable size, colour range and scent.

As the official emblem of China, the peony translates to "most beautiful" and has strong ties to royalty and honour in Eastern culture.

The flowers needs cold winters and have thrived in Tasmania, although a scientist in Queensland has successfully grown them in the sub-tropics.

The fast-blooming flowers need to be picked twice a day in the peak of the season and a missed bulb might be worthless by the afternoon.

The flowers can sell for $3 dollars a stem but large producers in Victoria can bring down the price at certain times of the year.

Peonies preparing to bloom at Peonietta in Forth. ( ABC Rural: Hugh Hogan )

"The earlier you can get them the better, once the Victorian market comes on, there's a lot of growers there and they tend to flood the market," Mr Botting said.

He has flowers under poly tunnels to promote early blooming and a site at Nietta which is 600 metres above sea level.

New owners

The varied conditions allow him to sell peonies at the shoulders of the season when the price is favourable.

"Our Nietta [flowers] in most seasons, are coming on as the Victorian crops are finishing off," he said.

"Over a distance of 37 kilometres we can pick fresh peonies for four calendar months."

Tanya and Mark Beech have only just started their first peony harvest after taking over from Peter Botting. ( ABC Rural: Hugh Hogan )

Outdoor enthusiasts Mark and Tanya Beech have now jumped at the chance to own Mr Botting's peony farm, after looking for an excuse to move to Tasmania.

Both have experience in agriculture but growing and pruning peonies is a first for the couple.

"I think peonies to a lot of people are a bit left field, once they see what we're growing they're amazed by their beauty," Tanya Beech said.

Tanya Beech usually prefers natives but could not resist the opportunity to commercially grow the peonies.

"It's the romance of it [growing peonies], but also the business opportunity that we've seen here."

Flowers, beef and cherries

Peonies in full bloom in southern Tasmania. ( Supplied: Linda Griggs )

Nick and Linda Griggs from Lucaston in southern Tasmania have also branched out into growing peonies at their property.

Five years ago the couple decided to extend their beef and cherry operations and plant 7,000 peony plants for the domestic and international market.

"We send our flowers interstate and overseas to places like China. This year they will be sent to the Middle East, which is great," Ms Griggs said.

"With our number of plants, we like to focus on quality not quantity. We take the side buds off each plant by hand, removing six or seven off each stem so all of the nutrition goes to one good, solid head."

Ms Griggs recognises the frustrations many gardeners face in growing the flower, but said patience and attention to soil nutrition is vital.

"There's an old saying, 'the first year sleeps, second year creeps, third year leaps', so it takes time to grow them," she said.

"I think in the home garden people tend not to follow the rules, like not bury them too deep. They are quite thirsty and hungrier than people realise.

"The hardest part is to know exactly when to pick them. We do it when a third of the true colour is on the head. If you pick it too tight it won't open well and provide good longevity for the customer.

"The season is really short, from October to December, but it's such a special flower. You can get roses all throughout the year, but I think peonies are really romantic with their big, blousy, beautiful blooms — some are as big as a side plate."