It's peony season! Of all the garden flowers we love, peonies are the queens of the garden. Peonies are large, showy and fragrant. An arrangement with these show stopping blooms is a beautiful way to embrace gracious living. These peony care tips will help your peony bouquet or arrangement live longer.
Welcome to Monday Morning Blooms. My three flower friends and I are sharing our love for flowers with you today. Please be sure to visit each of them by clicking on the links at the bottom of this post!
Peonies have a special allure. They are big, feminine and flirty, few things are as stunning as real peonies in a vase. Because peonies aren't available all year, it makes them even more special, doesn't it?
Harvested and sold from early May to the middle or end of June, the peony season is short but glorious. I'm always the first one to rush out to buy bunches and bring them home. Not only are they beautiful, they remind me of my grandfather's garden in Europe. He loved his garden so much, and as a little girl I loved nothing more than walking the property with him while he talked about each flower, bush or tree.
For this Monday Morning Blooms, I was so delighted to be able to go out and safely buy flowers again! That they were peonies, roses, and hydrangeas {all my favorites!} made it even more special, it was the first time I went "out" after our shelter in place order on March 19th.
I mean, you just can't improve on these cloud-like blooms, right? Peonies are beautiful alone, but they really shine when mixed with roses and hydrangeas to create a magnificent arrangement.
HOW TO PICK AND CARE FOR PEONIES.
1. START WITH THE RIGHT FLOWERS.
Gather peonies from the garden in the early morning. If you don't grow your own, buy peonies fresh cut from a grower or at your local flower shop. The buds should still be closed and the size of a golf ball. They should have green petals, but show a little bit of color. The buds should feel like firm marshmallows.
2. PREP THE FLOWERS.
Prep your peonies at home as soon as possible. Cut the stems about 1/2" up, on a diagonal. This is so that the flowers will absorb as much water as possible. Remove all the leaves from the stem where they will touch the water in your vase. If you don't need the foliage, strip off the leaves, they only divert the flower's energy. Place the peonies in cool water immediately.
3. GET YOUR VASE READY.
Peonies look their best when they are not flopping all over. To get your peonies to look as beautiful as possible, this trick will guarantee you design the best peony arrangement of the season. The secret? Clear floral tape. After you fill your vase with room temperature water, use a towel to dry the rim of your container. Then, apply strips of the tape across the top like a grid, or a diagram like you make for tic-tac-toe. The tape should run about 1/4" longer than the opening on both sides, so you can tape it to the outside of the vase. You can secure tape even more by circling all the way around the opening with an extra strip of tape.
4. ARRANGE CAREFULLY.
When arranging the flowers, make sure you don't pull the bottom petals of. They provide much of the support for the heavy flower heads. Peonies love to be arranged with other flowers, but be sure to avoid flowers with sharp points, they will damage the petals.
5. CLEAN AND HYDRATE.
Change the water and trim the stems a little tiny bit daily or at least every other day. You can add a little more flower food then, too.
If you follow these simple steps you will have a beautiful peony arrangement.
Peonies are always a good idea! They make me so happy when I see them in the living room. Even though they are only available for a short time, while they are here, they are glorious!
Thank you so much for visiting me today. I always love to read your comments, they mean so much to me. These Mondays when we all share our love of flowers are favorites.
Especially now during this unprecedented time, making our home special for ourselves and our families is more important than ever.
Do you love peonies as much as I do? With these Peony Care Tips you will be a designer pro!
On a side note, please join me in prayer that we as a nation can have healing, justice and peace on our streets, in all our lives, and in our hearts.
ps. For those of you who have been waiting....I've restocked the FrenchGardenHouse Flower Arranging Kit!
Please be sure to visit my friends, they always deliver just the right dose of beauty and inspiration we all long for!
SHIRLEY from Housepitality Designs
MARY from HomeIsWhereTheBoatIs
and me, LIDY from FrenchGardenHouse
A BIENTOT
Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com
sharing with Between Naps on the Porch
36 comments
Lidy, your bouquet is beautiful! It has all of my favorite flowers. I always look forward to Monday Morning Blooms. Thanks for the helpful tips. Take care, sweet friend!
Thank you so much Barbara, for your visit. It’s so easy to make any arrangement with flowers as gorgeous as these!!
Martha, most professional growers cut the peonies when they are in bud, before the petals unfurl. You can turn the buds “upside down” and give them a shake, to shake off the ants, too.
Thank you for your visit, Della! I hope the peonies and hydrangeas were a beauty spot in your day! xo
Oh Pam, how lucky you are to be able to grow peonies! I wish we could here. I’m always on the hunt for one that will do well in our planting zone. It’s such a joy to share these Mondays with you dear friend. xo
Karen, thank you so much for visiting today. I hope that you have a beautiful day where you are. Enjoy every moment. xo
Thank you so much Bonnie. Especially today, a bit of beauty in our world is so welcome. Hope you are having a lovely day. xo
Lidy, your arrangement is beautiful! I love peonies and thanks for the tips. They look so pretty with hydrangeas and roses in your lovely white pitcher.
Thank you for the gorgeous photos!
Rae, thanks so much for your visit! When I re-water, i take the vase to the sink and carefully water with my tea kettle, inserting the spout through one of the holes. I keep my fingers i the vase so i can tell how much water to add.