Peonies, we love them don't we?
However they are one of the trickiest flowers to buy as a florist .Each season varies, it depends entirely on the weather and the season can be early like this year but that does mean that it will finish earlier.
Peonies are loved by brides, most popular are the Madam Claud Tain, a wonderful white, Shirley Temple, a pretty pink, Sarah Bernhardt and Coral Sunset.
Buying them at the correct stage is vital for a florist, we buy in stages of ripeness. This way we know how long it should take to fully open so that it's perfect for a wedding.
Top Tips
If you buy any flowers from a supermarket you need to know that they will have been cut and kept in cold storage until they are ready to put out for sale. This means two things can happen - they don't open or they open immediately!
When you buy peonies buy them at what I call the 'marshmallow' stage, so they would be soft but not open ( see below )
Sometimes the flowers have a sticky residue on them, this is a nectar that is formed when the flower is in bud, gently rinse in cool water, a tiny touch of washing up liquid helps with this, rinse and gently shake dry.
Cut on a slant ,place in cool water ( not iced water as used by influencers on Instagram! )
Always use your flower food - it contains the correct amount of nutrients and change water regularly.
Keep out of sunlight and direct heat.
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