It’s Peony Week!

I feel like a broken record, but it’s been a weird spring. Things are definitely not blooming at the right time, but when they do they’re gorgeous. Helps to not have the dog days of summer set in yet. One of the stunners in the garden right now are my peonies.

Usually they stagger blooming a couple of weeks apart, but this year it’s all at once making for an explosion of pink.

I’ve never had much luck having blooms last very long in the house.  I usually cut a pretty bloom and within a day, the petals have dropped.  But, I learned a couple of tricks this year.  First, I cut the stem with a bud almost ready to burst into flower, put it into a vase, and by the next morning I had beautiful blooms that last days.  

The second trick I learned was from a Fine Gardening Quick Tip Video on how to save peonies to bloom later on.  I was skeptical, but it actually worked.

Cut your flower bud and wrap them immediately and place in refrigerator.

When you want to have them bloom, take them out of the refrigerator.  I let mine stay in for four days.  It looked pretty wilted and I had my doubts, but I unwrapped it and put it in the vase.

Within a few hours, the leaves started to perk up and by the next morning I had an absolutely stunning flower that went on to bloom for days!

The refrigerated bud is the bright pink bud in the center of the arrangement.

The stunning flower the next day was no worse for the wear and I had beautiful peonies to admire after the ones in the garden were all finished.

(some parts excerpted from a previous post “Peonies” published June 12, 2013)

Guest photo credits:  first four are Photos by Steve