Peonies Take Patience

- Katherine Owen

IF YOU’VE EVER BOUGHT PEONIES, there’s a chance that Carl Van Staalduinen grew those stems in North Carolina. He comes from a long line of Dutch cut-flower farmers. In 1943, his grandfather Leendert Van Staalduinen settled in Pantego, North Carolina, and founded The Terra Ceia Farms. What made this destination special? Carl Van Staalduinen says, “He had to find an area where the climate and product coincided with flower-driven holidays.” Tulips bloom here right around Easter.