By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Roy family’s deep roots in Chatham-Kent agriculture just got a little deeper.
That’s due to the opening of Fleur de Roy – Ontario’s largest pick-your-own peony farm.
Located on Angler Line near Pain Court, the “peony bloom experience” offers visitors a vista of 10 acres of peonies, ranging in colour from deep red to pearly white.
The farm is located near Lake St. Clair at the site of a duck hunting lodge dubbed Bay Lodge, which the Roy family uses as a cottage.
A joint venture between Valerie Chort and her nephew Charles-Andre Rougeau, Fleur de Roy started in 2017.
Chort is married to Jules Roy, part of the family that founded King Grain.
Chort describes Fleur de Roy as both a “labour of love” and a “family project.”
According to Rougeau the peony farm began as a “small experiment that got bigger and bigger,” with the first flower harvest taking place in 2020. Since then, Fleur de Roy has been distributing peonies wholesale, shipping 75,000 flowers to Toronto in 2024 alone, along with supplying florists in southwestern Ontario.
Starting a peony farm is no overnight sensation. It takes three years for the plant to mature and bloom. Weather also impacts when the late spring-early summer flower blooms, making it tricky to gauge when the peonies are ready.
“It’s very difficult to time, to know exactly when we can open,” Rogeau explained, noting recent colder weather meant that opening day was a moving target.
Chort said deciding to change the business model to pick-your-own is part of the farm’s evolution.
“We shifted because we were also looking at what could we offer that no one else could,” she said. “And it’s the largest peony pick-your-own in Ontario.”
They haven’t fully researched it yet but it may be the largest in Canada, she added, noting Fleur de Roy is home to 150,000 peony plants.
“There’s lots of interest,” Chort explained, noting many people remember peonies from childhood, as a flower their grandma grew, noting peony plants last anywhere from 50 to 100 years.
“Peonies mean a lot to people, ” she said. “They’re nostalgic and they move through the generations.”
Chort said she wanted to give a shout out to Chatham-Kent Tourism, Chatham-Kent Economic Development Services and Luv Local for their help getting Fleur de Roy off the ground. Luv Local will be onsite for the two weekends the pick-your-own is open, with local vendors and artisans selling their wares.
“It’s really a warm hug from Chatham-Kent,” she said. “People have been so excited and very friendly.”
Because weather affects the flowers, visitors are advised to check social media channels before venturing out. Tickets are $25 and include a three-hour visit and pick-your-own bouquet. They can be purchased online at the Fleur de Roy website. Various workshops are also being offered.
Fleur de Roy opened May 30.
