In loving memory of Richard Currie

Years ago Richard began to do business with one, Sandy Evaniuck, selling her peony harvests from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York. She acquired the Styers root collections which had first begun with world renowned J. Franklin Styer who was a master peony gardener, breeder, cultivator, and collector of peonies. Starting this business in the late 1800s, he sold peonies almost exclusively to the mid-coast markets, but over time also sent some cold packed orders across the country. Long story short, while Richard began to market and sell stems for Sandy, he thought more and more about being a grower himself so he bought her business! Starting his venture with a collection that had a world wide stellar reputation was a great launching pad.

In the mid eighties, Richard had begun to grow floral products on his farm in Zimbabwe, his homeland, and so had originally set up a business to expedite international sales. That operation continued in West Chester, PA and was so perfectly situated to take on his new love of farming and harvesting his own peonies.

He started about 21 years ago to plant roots on my family's farm in Chadds Ford, PA near our house. And, as most of you know, over time, it has become a spectacular series of fields on rolling hills; a site that takes your breath away.

The Peony festival was conceived at the beginning of the pandemic when people were most desperate to connect with beauty and the outdoors. The Festival was a hit and his business sailed forward. This project could not have been achieved alone, and it was with amazing, excellent assistance that his retail and wholesale businesses took off. To acknowledge a few key workers: Bruce Mowday ran the festival, worked in the fields, and did the marketing; Lucy managed the grading and packing of all stems and roots for shipment; and, the entire Olvera family were in charge of harvest management and mechanical maintenance. These employees and many others contributed with their hearts and souls. Richard raved about all of the devoted friends and employees and said so on a daily basis.

We spent many evenings in the field from the very first emergence of shoots right through the peak bloom, and I will always cherish those joyful, hopeful, and thoughtful times of happiness and excitement.

Richard was a most loving father, stepfather, grandfather, friend, and husband and we all feel privileged to have him in our hearts and minds. We are swimming through this void right now, but also know that flowers come and go just like we all do. The wonderful memories and love help us to keep going.

Cheers to all,Laurie Haskell de Grazia, Richard's wife

In Loving Memory of Richard E. Currie

At 72 years old, our father had not yet retired. We lost him suddenly in December 2025, following a tragic accident while traveling. Our grief is still very much with us. But so is everything he left behind, in the fields, in the flowers. If he taught us anything, it was to work hard, love with our whole heart, and notice beauty in the natural world.

We are grateful to all who have reached out with kindness and condolences. Peonies are our father's greatest legacy. We are still finding the path forward for his extensive collection of plants. Unfortunately, as we are sure you will understand, it has proven too challenging to arrange a harvest or festival for this season.

Richard Currie was many things – a farmer, a naturalist, a generous and loving soul, a fun and thoughtful father – but above just about all else, he was a man devoted to peonies. For three decades, he poured his life into understanding these remarkable plants: their habits, their needs, their seemingly endless capacity for beauty. That dedication gave our family something rare and wonderful.

Growing up, our home during the spring harvest season was always filled with their fragrance. We inevitably had blooms overflowing every bucket and vase our dad could get his hands on. We spent some of our most cherished childhood days working alongside him in the fields, learning from him row by row. During disbud season, he would pay us a penny for every side bud we pinched, it was an early lesson in both horticulture and the value of careful, patient work.

In his later years, our father found a new kind of joy in sharing what he had built over his career. Opening the fields to the public through the Festival of the Peony was a natural expression of who he was: someone who believed that beauty of this kind deserved to be shared. We are grateful so many of you were able to walk in the peony fields firsthand, and we hope you cherish those memories as we do. In the photos he shared over the years, he would often write how lucky he felt and those messages were almost always accompanied by a picture of a single bloom or a field stretching out in full color. He meant it and shared his gratitude.

He often debated with Andrew whether to grow food or flowers. His position was that the beauty of a flower had an ineffable quality that made life joyous. It took Andrew a long time to understand this, but is slowly coming around to his perspective. There is a particular magic to standing at the head of a row of peonies at dawn, in the quiet before the day begins, preparing to cut. He knew that magic. He lived in it.

We hope you will check back in periodically as we navigate what comes next. And please do not hesitate to reach out at sales@styerspeonies.com.

With love and gratitude,

Andrew, Tessa, Sarah