Extend peony blossom season with this simple trick to make peonies last longer. You’ll be able to enjoy your peonies blossoms for up to a month.
I don’t think I know a single person who doesn’t go crazy over the beauty of peony blossoms. We’re just at the beginning of the herbaceous peony season now, so I thought I’d share this little trick to make peonies last longer and help everyone get the most out of their blooms and be able to enjoy them for as long as possible! Even if you’re nearing the end of your peony season where you are now, definitely save this one for next year! This is a great trick to know about if you’re going to be wanting to use peony blossoms for a special occasion at a later date, even after the season is over. You can also use this tip to be able to enjoy fresh blooms for yourself for an extra long time! Either way, more peonies are always a good thing!
It will take a little bit of planning and awareness to get this just right, but it’s definitely worth it!
How to Make Peonies Last Longer
Start out by watching your peonies closely when it’s almost time for them to bloom. You want to wait for them to get to the “soft marshmallow” stage and then it will be time to pounce!
The soft marshmallow stage is when the buds are just starting to show a bit of color, are fairly large, and are soft like a big puffy marshmallow. 🙂
When you think you’ve reached the perfect marshmallowy softness, wait until the next morning to cut your peonies, when the day is still cool-ish.
You want to leave at least 2 leaves on your stems when you cut them so the flowers can continue to grow and store food later on.
A Bundle of Blossoms
Shake any little bugs off of the buds and place them right away into a ziplock bag. Leave the bottom of the stems dry, just put them straight in the bag and close it up. Since I was just cutting a few shorter stems for this, I used the regular “large” size bags, but the giant 2 gallon size is great for longer stems.
Place the bag in your fridge, laying down flat on one of the shelves.
The key to making this work well is to get the moisture just right. The plastic bag allows some moisture to be trapped inside, but you don’t want too much. If you see moisture build-up happening on the inside of the bag, either open the bag up a little, or place a few sheets of paper towel in the bag to absorb the excess moisture.
Fresh Peonies – Ready When You Are
When you’re ready to display your peonies, re-cut the stems and place them in water at room temperature. Give them about 24 hours to bloom, so if you need them for a special occasion, take them out of the fridge and start the blooming process the day before.
And that’s it! Now we can all enjoy peonies in our home well past the regular 7-10 day blooming time!
Do you grow peonies at home? Let me know if you have any great tips for getting the most out of your peony plants!
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.