Every May the magical peony season starts for just six short weeks. The much coveted bloom is a symbol of a happy marriage and prosperity, which perhaps explains why they're so popular.
But they can also be very short lived in your home, here's our professional florist tips to keep your peonies looking their best.
When they arrive - give them a wipe!
Peony buds are covered in a sticky sap which helps protect the bloom by holding its outer petals together. Wiping this away gently with a damp cloth will encourage them to open. It will also help to get rid of ants which are obsessively attracted to the sweet coating.
Give Them A Trim
Each stem needs a clean, sharp 45° cut, this allows for maximum surface area for water to enter the stem and hydrate your blooms. Re cut your stems every few days to allow more water to flow in.Support Your Peonies
Those big beautiful flower heads can weigh heavy on the stems so make sure your peonies are placed in a vase which allows them to be supported and upright.
Keep Them Fresh
Fresh tepid water into a clean vase is a great start, and remember to change it regularly. Bacteria that builds up in stagnant water will kill off your blooms faster. If your peonies have come with flower food then make sure you include it, if not the tiniest drop of bleach will help.
Find Them The Perfect Home
The number one reason for your flowers not lasting will be the conditions they are kept in. A sunny windowsill or your kitchen island are probably the worst places you can put your flowers.
Flowers like to be placed in a cool area with indirect sunlight. Too warm or bright and they will fade fast, it's why and Thatch & Roses we have a dark cool room o store our flowers in. Another thing to watch out for is the fruit bowl. Fruit and vegetables give off methane gas as they ripen which ages flowers rapidly.
Things to Remember
Peonies are short lived. They do not live as cut flowers for days and says like roses or carnations might, We say that you should get five days out of your peonies if they're well looked after.
Peonies can change colour and fade. During that short life span it is normal for your peonies to change colour for example from hot coral to white. They fade away as they age before dropping their petals.
Enjoy them while you can. They peony season is short lived and even the best quality peonies can be dramatically impacted by the weather. If we have a short cold or wet period of weather it can halt the maturity of the blooms in their tracks and the growers can do nothing but watch and wait for sunshine to return.
Our peonies here at Thatch & Roses, are grown by one of the countries most specialist suppliers, who usually does not sell to florists directly. His harvest is usually bought in bulk by national companies. Our connections allow you to access the best peonies in Britain, grown in the heart of Lincolnshire.
Happy Peony Season!