Peony Love
Throughout the many years of running my wedding business there was one flower that everyone loved and yes that was the peony. With its beautiful shades and ruffles it certainly defines femininity and beauty.
But these cut flowers can sometimes be a little tricky to care for and work with. So in this blog I have created some information that will hopefully give you lots of tips and tricks so you can feel confident when you are designing with them.
Information about peonies
Peonies are beautiful flowers, which come in a variety of colours from whites, to dark reds and an array of pinks.
The growing season for them in Britain is relatively short, June is the peak month. Although peonies start showing up on the flower auctions in Holland as early as February, I always advise students who attend Flourish Sussex Flower School to never buy them this early. The cost is high and the condition is low.
Types of Peonies
There are three different types of peonies: herbaceous peonies, tree peonies and intersectional peonies. The main differences are that herbaceous peonies die back to the ground in winter and then regrow in the spring, while tree peonies have woody stems that remain throughout the year. Intersectional peonies are a hybrid between herbaceous and tree peonies.
Peony Types
There are lots of different types of peonies. Some have single heads, while others have double. Some of the most popular varieties come in shades of pink. One of the most popular varieties is Sarah Bernhardt, while a personal favourite of mine is Gardenia which is a very soft pink mixed with white.
The flowers can be very large and when in season you can manipulate them to suit your design.
Designing with peonies
Working out when to get your peonies is the first step when designing with these flowers. If you are creating a large archway you will probably want your peonies to be very open. Depending on the weather, if it is a cool week you may want to get them in as early as Tuesday before a Saturday wedding so they can be open and full. However if it is hot, the later the better.
If you are using them for a smaller arrangement or the couple want them to not be too open it is important to get them in as close to the wedding as possible, especially if you are working with them at peak season.
Monitor the weather. If it is going to be warm and you don’t want them to open too much get them in on the Thursday or even better on the Friday, condition them and then keep them somewhere dark and cool.
If you want them to open up more you can gently push back the petals, this will bring the petals out and will transform your peony into a large open flower.
Care Tips for Peonies
Once you have got your peonies in ensure that your buckets or vases are clean and add cold water to them.
If you are buying them directly from a florist or a supermarket go for the ones that are bud, not the ones that are in full flower, these will last longer.
Use clean, sharp floristry scissors or pruning shears to cut the stem at a 45 degree angle. This helps to prevent damage to the stem and allows the flower to drink more easily.
Remove lower leaves, so that the water can go directly to the flower.
If you are using a vase make sure it is a heavy duty one. Peonies are heavy flowers and you don’t want your display to tip over with their weight.
Ensure that you change the water every two to three days, this will help the peonies to live longer and some can survive up to two weeks.
Make sure you keep your display someone cool and away from direct sunlight.
Questions about peonies
I hope you have found this blog useful. If you have any questions or have any other tips that you have found useful when arranging with peonies please do comment below.
Peonies are a firm favourite here at Flourish Sussex Flower School, so during the summer months you will find them in our flower school a lot! If you are keen to find out more about how to flower arrange with us visit our workshop page by clicking here.
Alicia xx