Peony care: from tight bud to big bloom

When your peonies arrive

Our flowers are packed in bud and shipped dry, so the stems can look a little tired when you open the box. Peonies arrive as small, closed buds that look nothing like the flower they will become, so don’t be alarmed. Once they’re in water they perk up within 24 to 48 hours.

• Recut each stem at a 45 degree angle.
• Trim off the leaves below the waterline.
• Stand them in a clean vase of fresh water with your flower food.
• Handle the buds gently. They are delicate and bruise easily.

Opening peonies from bud

Florists look for a peony bud that feels soft, like a marshmallow, when it’s held very gently. A bud that’s as hard as a marble may take longer.

Some of our buds open as late as 72 hours after going into water, and our bouquets reach their full beauty around day 3 or 4.

A room at ordinary indoor temperature opens peonies at a steady pace. A warmer room opens them faster, and a cooler spot slows them down, which is handy if you want a bloom to wait for an occasion.

Keeping peonies fresh

Open peonies are big, thirsty blooms, so check the water level every day.

• Use a sturdy, heavy-based vase. A full peony head is heavy enough to tip over a light one.
• Change the water every couple of days and rinse the vase while it’s empty.
• At day 3 or 4, recut the stems, change the water and add the second pack of flower food.
• Keep the vase away from direct sunlight, heating vents and ripening fruit. Once peonies are open, a cooler spot helps them last.

How long peonies last

Cut peonies usually last around five to seven days. Taken as a whole, a Bear’s Blooms bouquet lasts a full week and often up to two weeks with proper care and placement.

A peony goes from tight bud to full bloom to loosening petals. Dropped petals are the natural end of a bloom and not a sign that something went wrong. Some flowers last longer than others, so freshen up the arrangement by pruning the spent stems.

Common peony problems

Most peony problems come down to weight, warmth or waiting a little longer.

• A bud that stays closed. Recut the stem, refill the vase with fresh water and flower food, and keep it somewhere at ordinary indoor temperature. Give it time, because some buds open as late as 72 hours after going into water.
• Heavy heads flopping over. Use a heavier vase, recut the stems a little shorter and tuck them in among sturdier stems for support.
• Browning or bruised petals. Heat, direct sunlight and ripening fruit nearby can all speed up ageing, and peony petals mark easily when handled.
• Petals dropping. A fully open peony drops its petals as it ages, which is natural.

If your stems still aren’t responding as expected, email support@bearsblooms.com with a photo of your full bouquet as well as any individual stems.