​Lorē Sampson

Lorē Sampson, Rarity Gardens, Mt. Hood, OR

Lorē is a well-known member of the garden community in the Pacific Northwest.  She and her husband Jim own and operate Rarity Gardens, a small perennial nursery specializing in hosta, daylilies and especially peonies. A nurseyman’s daughter, Lorē has been growing and propagating a wide variety of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants since childhood. She studied botany at the University of Michigan and currently grows more than 850 different peony cultivars. A long- time member of the Pacific Northwest Peony Society, Lorē is also Past-President of the American Peony Society where she was instrumental is establishing evaluation criteria and judges’ training for the Society’s Award of Landscape Merit selection process. She is the recipient of the prestigious Award of Horticulture from the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs and is a popular speaker for garden clubs, plant societies and Master Gardener groups. Her mission is to introduce gardeners to modern peonies as the perfect choice for both the landscape and vase.

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