Tired of watching your expensive peonies droop and wilt within days of buying them? Follow our guide on how you can make peonies last longer in the vase.
For beauty, elegance and sheer showstopping glamour, few flowers can match the power of the peony. Starting out as somewhat unpromising-looking golfball-size buds with tightly curled petals, these fashionable flowers gradually puff up and open out into spectacularly showy, fluffy blooms, ranging in colour from pure white through pale pink and yellow to deepest crimson.
While they are currently having a fashion moment, peonies have a long history and are native to Asia, Europe and North America. They were grown in China over 3,000 years ago, mainly for their medicinal and pain-relieving properties, and became popular as ornamental plants during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), when they were grown in the imperial gardens. As a result, they came to symbolise wealth and were introduced to Japan when their valuable roots were traded for goods.
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Chinese peonies were first introduced to Europe in the late 18th century, and were bred from that time mainly in the UK and France, where they quickly became a hit, and a muse for Impressionist artists such as Monet and Gauguin. The peonies that we see today are hybrids that have been created from these floral globetrotters.
Despite their size and stage presence, peonies are delicate flowers, and those you buy from a florist in the Middle East will have travelled a fair distance, so it’s important to know how to care for them. Here are five steps to follow to make peonies last longer in the vase.
Condition your flowers
Using a pair of sharp floristry scissors or shears, cut around 1cm off the bottom of each stem (or more, depending on the height of the vase). Cut on the diagonal, to give the bottom of the stem a larger surface area, which will allow the flower to absorb more water. Take care not to squash the stem as you are cutting it. Remove any leaves from the stem that will sit below the water level in the vase: any leaves below the waterline will rot and produce bacteria, which will reduce the lifespan of the flowers.
Keep it clean
Make sure the vase you are using is extremely clean: run vases through the dishwasher to clean them where possible, as dishwashing liquid can leave an invisible residue on the surface. Fill the vase around a third full with cool water (too much water in the vase will make the flower stems slimy), and add flower food, which can help extend the life of the blooms.
Not too hot, not too cold
Place your peony arrangement in a cool place, away from direct sunlight and away from drafts and heat sources. Too much heat will make the flowers open and wilt too quickly, while if they are too cold, they may not open up at all.
Refresh and trim
Change the water every two days or so, and snip a little more off the bottom of the stems each time to allow maximum water absorption. Look out for any discolouration at the bottoms of the stems and remove it; again, this could produce bacteria in the water.
Open up
A peony bud that doesn’t open up is devastatingly disappointing. If you have any flowers that are refusing to open, remove them from the vase and run the flower bud under warm water, rubbing it gently, to remove any sap and loosen the petals: the flowers naturally produce a sticky sap which can prevent the petals from opening properly. Putting the flowers in a vase of warm water for 24 hours, and placing them in a sunny spot, can also encourage them to open.
