Farm Overview

Ferme Fleurie has been operating successfully for the past 11 years and has grown 95374 peony plants. The harvest begins in late March, and continues through the first 3 week of May! The shrubs are harvested in November to mid February, and buttercups / Anemone from late October until after Easter! The climate is suitable for good quality peony crops. Fungal disease is very low due to the perfect climate; the air is mostly dry because of the Mistral wind. All our blocks have Mistral (wind) protection by means of Cypresses; this regulates a good micro climate between the plots! The Mistral creates low humidity in our tunnels, which really helps us manage the environment under the plastic.

The flower farm is divided into 11 blocks, which are separated by tunnels / Cypress trees!

Block No. 1

Peony Duchesse de Memours 5200 stems (5 years) total production. 1620m2
Peony Jules Elie 1600 stems (5 years) total production. 600m2
Incl. Irrigation sprinklers with nozzles, valves and underground connections

Block No. 2

BN greenhouses 9.40m wide and 160.5m long = 1524.75m2 total. Built in 2004.
Giordano stove 120 000 kgal + digital thermostat.
Priva campact fans 5x.
Irrigation (moon), fine mist (droplets) operated by hand.
G.A.G. drip lines per bed (hand operated)
These tunnels have produced since 2005:
3038 - Peony Flame stems.
2940 - Peony Paula Fay stems.
BN greenhouses 8.00m wide and 49m long = 392m2 - 6 tunnels built in 2005.
Giordano stoves - 80 000 kgal + digital thermostat integrated with 3 greenhouses. (i.e. two groups)
2 Priva campact fans per greenhouse, total of 12 fans!
Irrigation (moon), fine mist (droplets) electro valves.
G.A.G. drip lines per bed (electro valves).
3 tunnels are planted with Peony Paula Fay (3 years) 4320 stems.
2.5 tunnels planted with Peony Flame (1.5 years) 3600 stems.
0.5 tunnel planted Peony Moon Rise (1.5 years) 720 stems.
Behind these 6 tunnels is a water basin to catch rain and drainage water, when filled the basin is automatically pumped into the nearby water cannels (fully automatic float system).

Block No. 3

Totals 4950m2, 2574m2 of which is planted with Peony Sarah Bernhardt - 7740 stems (6 years).
This field has 3 irrigation lines, 180 meters long, with each nozzle 12 meter apart - Irrifrance pipes.

Block No. 4

Pump station; over a borehole which is directly pumped for irrigation in the tunnels and open fields. Pumped through a 160mm high pressure PVC pipe 1 meter underground! All water pipes and electricity lines are standards compliant and incorporated underground linking to the tunnels and to the fields.
The pump house is built out of stone, 3m wide by 6m long with roof tiles! Here a so called yellow EDF contract with favourable pricing of electricity in the summer months (when much pumping is done). Sufficient high voltage is available for any required alterations; the electrical pump is a DAB 80/800T K (Italian) 8 years old. Capacity of this pump is 30 to 84 cubic meters per hour. There is enough water in the borehole, so excessive pumping is absolutely no problem. The pump is connected to a control box with timer. All 23 tunnels are equipped with 2 taps and electricity per tunnel (greenhouse). Overhead irrigation and other drip irrigation can be switched on by the timer on the pump control box. Pressure Regulator is set automatically, e.g. 3 bars, and is adjustable as desired. The entire system is easy to maintain, and certainly not complicated.
All 24 tunnels are equipped with Giordano hot air heaters (diesel); a diesel fuel tank of 12000 litres exists.
The 24 Giordano heaters are 80 000 Kgal and 1 is 120 000 Kgal, and can be regulated by a digital thermostat. All switches and fuses are placed in the pump house.
On this block are 17 BN greenhouses, 8m wide by 40m long and 320m2 each, 5440m2 in total. All tunnels are equipped with 2 fans and irrigation sprinklers as well as drip lines. 16 of the tunnels (greenhouses) are used for the cultivating Ranunculus / Anemone, 1 Tunnel (greenhouse) is planted with Peony Paula Fay 1152 stems (3 years).
Alongside the 17 tunnels, lies 4500m2 land planted with Hester;
- 800 Cogge Cotinus Royal Purple
- 800 Photinia FR. Purple Peter
Viburnum Tinus – 3220 macrophyllum
All this is under drip irrigation, there are outlets available to mount irrifrance piping.

Block No. 5

Beside the Cypresses lies +/- 7500m2 of open land for planting shrubs or peony! Then;
Viburnum Tinus – 2800 plants macrophyllum (3 years)
Viburnum Red Spirit – 6000 plants (3 years) is on + / - 5000m2.

Block No. 6

This block is + / - 8000m2 planted with Peony Sarah Bernardt
Sarah Bernardt – 19,000 plants. (10 years).
The block is covered by 3 lines irrifrance irrigation with sprinklers, (185 meter length)

Block No. 7

This block is + / - 9360m2 and filled with the following species of planted peony;
- Dr. Alexander Fleming - 3250 plants. (10 years)
- Festiva Maxima - 1360 plants. (10 years)
- Charles Rosenfield – 8270 plants. (9 years)
- Dr. Alexander Fleming - 3000 plants (6 years)
The block is covered by 4 lines irrifrance irrigation with sprinklers. (185 meter length)

The second pump house is located on this block, and is constructed of zinc and stands 2m by 2m! The borehole is located right behind the pump house. The pump house houses an electric DAB 50 K / 1600T (Italian) engine. The pump has a capacity of 60 to 130 cubic meters per hour, and has sufficient water. Water PH is 7.2 and calcium rich!

The pump has a control board with timer. Two pumping stations can provide lots of water. This station is fully standards compliant and has sufficient power.

Block No. 8

This block is + / - 10 000m2 and filled with the following planted shrubs;
Viburnum Tinus macrophyllum – 7375 plants (5 years)!
Viburnum Tinus Red - Spirit - 1000 plants (4 years)!

Good shrubs to cut in the autumn and early winter, but not easy to grow! Is commonly found in nature in Provence, so is something that belongs here but is hard to cultivate!

All under drip irrigation and pipe connections are present in this block.

Block No. 9

This block is + / - 10 000m2 and mostly filled with planted shrubs and peony;
Viburnum Tinus macrophyllum – 7000 plants (2 year old shrubs).
Tester-Shrubs, there are many possibilities here!
Peony Karl Rosenfield – 3520 plants (6 years)

The shrubs have drip irrigation and peonies are irrigated with irrifrance pipes and sprinklers!

Block No. 10

This block is + / - 4000m2 cultivated with peony:
Paula Fay – 8200 plants. (5 years).
Has 2 irrifrance lines of 175 meters long with sprinklers.

Block No. 11

This block is + / - 6000m2 planted with peonies;
-Sarah Bernard - 18,464 plants. (9 years)
Has 3 and half irrifrance lines with sprinklers.

The bottom of the block is a large basin for collecting rain and drain water with an overflow pump that has an electrified auto float!