Nick Morse doesn't know what first drew him to peonies, but he has spent the past 40 years tending to their showy spring blossoms around Chittenden County. A retired Burlington resident, Morse cultivates garden beds of peonies at six spots: Shelburne Farms, Wheeler Homestead in South Burlington, McClure Miller Respite House and the University of Vermont Medical Center's Fanny Allen campus in Colchester, and the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge and the First Congregational Church in Burlington, where he worked as a sexton for a decade and a half. Morse is a colorful character with a passion for peonies, and he volunteers his time and money to create these fleeting, fragrant displays.

Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger met up with Morse on a sunny weekend to see his blooms in Burlington.

Later she spoke about filming the episode.

How did you hear about Nick Morse?

We got an email about Morse from a reader, and I jumped at the chance to talk to someone about peonies. Their season is brief in Vermont — it lasts about one month. But during that time, I always make a point of visiting the peonies at Shelburne Farms and inhaling their delicious fragrance. I called Morse and was instantly charmed by him. Like the glorious peonies, he makes an impression.

Morse is quite entertaining.

I love talking about flowers with a fellow gardener, and it's even more fun to throw shade at various varieties. Morse had some choice insults for Japanese irises (they spread like the plague) and daylilies (the one flower that doesn't mind being parked on). He is not fond of hostas; I agree that they are rather dull.

Morse is very opinionated when it comes to his precious peonies. I could not find fault with any of them, but to quote Morse, "You have to be firm with plants and remind them that they can be replaced." At one point, he waggled his finger at a peony that was not flowering. I could almost see it perking up and trying extra hard to perform better. Its space in the garden depended on it.

Did you go home with any peonies?

Morse gifted me with a stunning peony bouquet, which totally made my day. The flowers lasted a week and had pride of place on my dining room table. Morse also picked a bouquet for the front desk at the Hope Lodge when we were there. He has planted hundreds of peonies all over the county for many people and organizations, including Cathedral Square and the Converse Home in the 1990s. He's planted peonies at friends' houses and even jokingly offered to dig one up for my home! As Morse says in the video, he is a bit like Johnny Appleseed, spreading peony goodness.

This video has some parallels with your last one, right?

My last video featured retired Johnson resident Leonard Prive, who picks up trash along the roadside. Both Prive and Morse are retired former custodians who make the state a better place with their volunteer work — although Morse jokes that he is less of a volunteer and more of "a victim" of his own peony obsession. At least the flowers are beautiful and worth the trouble.

What did you learn about growing peonies?

If your peonies aren't blooming properly, they might be planted too deep. Or in my case, they might be shaded by trees that are stealing their water and sunlight. Morse has left one of his peony patches at the First Congregational Church to the mercy of the giant trees that shade it. In his home garden, Morse has given up on some shaded peonies and replaced them with zinnias. Sometimes the trees win.

If you are having trouble keeping your stems up, try wrapping them with panty hose and supports. Trimming some of the pea-size buds on plants helps other buds grow larger and keeps the stems stronger. Peonies are not that finicky and just require water, sun and a small amount of fertilizer.

Everyone knows the peonies at Shelburne Farms.

Many people visit Shelburne Farms' formal gardens to see the peonies in the spring. When I made my annual pilgrimage, I wanted to see which peonies Morse was responsible for. As it happens, I had missed him by a few minutes, but one of the other gardeners pointed out his peonies. Morse's row of flowers is by the south pergola, which also has lilacs and globe thistles. Morse explained to me that before he arrived, there were hundreds of peonies at the farm but only about four varieties. He introduced a number of different varieties to his section, and they all have name tags if you want to learn more. It makes me happy to know that Morse is out there, spreading blooms and keeping those precious peonies in line.