Find out how to care for cut peonies and keep your flowers fresher for longer.
With their gorgeous summery blooms, peonies are always a welcome treat. If you can’t get enough of them, you’ll be happy to know your peony bouquet can last even longer by following these simple tips.
Peony Care Tips
1. Peonies arrive in bud
Our peonies arrive in bud, as this gives them a longer vase life. They won’t look very impressive to begin with, but after a few days in water they’ll blossom into the stunning cloud-like flowers we all love.
2. Trim the stems
Once you have carefully removed all packaging, use a sharp knife or secateurs to cut the stems at a 45 degree angle. How much you should trim will depend on your vase – for taller vases, you might only need to trim them a little, but for shorter vases you can trim more. Take care when trimming the stems; try not to squash or bruise the area you are cutting as this can limit water intake and reduce the life of your blooms.
Trimming the stems will help your peonies absorb more water, meaning they’ll last longer. Making sure they’re the right length for your vase will also make arranging the flowers much easier, and make them look much nicer too.
3. Remove leaves on stems that fall below the waterline
Remove any leaves on the stems that will be below the waterline in your vase. This is to help keep the water clean and reduce the amount of nasty bacteria which can shorten your peonies’ vase life.
4. Display your flowers
Place your peonies in a clean vase with lukewarm water and add the flower food provided. It’s best to display them in an area away from draughts, direct sunshine, heat, and fresh fruit, as these can all reduce the vase life of your peonies.
4. Change the water every few days
Change the water in your vase every 2 or 3 days, or more often in warm weather. This is one of the best ways to keep your peonies fresh, as it gets rid of any bacteria that has built up in the vase.
Why aren’t my peonies opening?
Peonies usually just need a few days in water to bloom, but if yours are struggling there’s a few ways you can help them along.
Firstly, check the buds for any sticky sap – peonies naturally produce this, but sometimes it can prevent them from opening properly. If there’s sap, hold the flower under warm water to wash it away, and then gently rub the bud to loosen the petals.
You can also try re-trimming the stems and placing the peonies in warm water for 24 hours – this can give them a little boost and help them open up faster.
We hope that these simple tips have helped you with how to care for your peonies!
