When Jay and I moved into our home here in Western Maine almost ten years ago, it was during the month of November. Being that it was fall already, we didn’t get a full picture as to what type of flowers we had growing in our newly acquired gardens. It wasn’t until the following spring, did we discover the many types of beautiful blooms we had inherited. I have to say one of the most pleasant surprises, was that of our several peonies plants. I’m not certain what variety of peonies they are but they are sure beautiful. Every spring I look forward to enjoying their beautiful pink color and fragrant perfume.
After a few years, I decided to plant several other species of flowers and would love to incorporate more peonies into my other gardens. I recently had a new gardening book come into my possession. Cutting Gardens by the National Home Gardening Club is part of a collection of five volumes. This is a beautifully illustrated book with detailed instructions on how to grow a garden that will in return provide beautiful flowers to cut for your home. It has an informative section on peonies and has become a wonderful addition to my library.
I hope you find the information below useful and find the same enjoyment I have from these lovely flowers.
About Peonies
Peonies are flowering plants in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. The Paeonia genus contains more than 30 species and hundreds of varieties, some of which have been in cultivation for thousands of years, originally in China. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America.
These breathtaking blooms are dependable perennials that come back every year for your to enjoy for generations. In fact, the plants may live longer than you with little attention and some have been known to thrive for at least 100 years. These flowers bloom from late spring through early summer, depending on your location and the variety of peonies that you are growing. They are hardy to zone 3 and grow well as far south as zones 7 and 8. In most of the U.S., the rules for successful blooms are simple: make sure to provide full sun and well-drained soil. Peonies also relish cold winters, because they need chilling for bud formation.
As cut flowers, peonies have no rivals. Alone or in mixed arrangements, they have an elegant natural beauty and an exquisite, unforgettable fragrance.
When is the Best Time to Cut Peonies?
In order to keep your peonies fresher and longer, it is important to know when and how to do so. Peonies can be long-lasting flowers in an arrangement if cut at the right time.
The stages of blooms are called:
1. Marble-like Stage (hard & tight)
2. Marshmallow Stage (soft & squishy)
3. Early Blooming Stage (just beginning to bloom)
4. Fully Open Stage (fully open flowers)
The right time to harvest these flowers is in the marshmallow stage. If harvested in this stage, you will get six to seven days in an arrangement, and up to ten in ideal conditions. Typically, if you cut the flowers at the fully open stage, they will only last two to three days at the most. This is okay for your own personal use, especially if you are displaying them for an event or for your own enjoyment. However, you would definitely not want to give away any cut flowers at this stage.
The Best Time of Day for Cutting Peonies
The best time of day for cutting these flowers is in the morning when they are fully hydrated. Try to cut them when the morning dew has evaporated, especially if you plan to store your peony stems. Any extra moisture can contribute to the molding of the blooms during storage. Make sure to harvest on a dry day, instead of a rainy or misty day, for the same reasons. The extra moisture can cause future problems.
Cutting Peonies Stems
Before you cut your peony blooms, make sure that your cutting shears are clean and sharp. Reach down into the plant and cut stems at about eighteen inches on an angle. Find the peony stems with buds in the marshmallow stage. There may be side buds as well on these blooms and that’s okay. They’ll just bloom a little later.
If you leave a few sets of leaves from each stem remaining on the plant, this will help to provide energy for new flower production for the following spring. After cutting, strip the bottom leaves from the stem, leaving only several leaves at the top of the stem. Then place them directly into a clean container of lukewarm water.
Caring for Your Blooms
Once you have cut your peonies, you will find that they prefer a cool environment. They will last longer in a vase in a cooler location out of direct sunlight. You can try keeping your blooms in the fridge overnight as well. Also, make sure to change the water in a vase regularly. Every few days is a good choice for providing your blooms with fresh tepid water or cool water.
How Long Will Cut Peonies Last?
If you follow the tips mentioned above for cutting peonies at the proper stage of development, you will find that your blooms will have a much longer life in your arrangements. Once the cut peony buds are placed into a warm environment and placed in water, they will begin to gradually open and start blooming. The bloom time will be anywhere from five to ten days in ideal conditions. With the proper care, cut peonies can last for you to enjoy.
A Few More Tips for Cutting Peonies
Now, you may have found yourself in the same boat as me this season. I wasn’t planning on cutting my peonies this season because I didn’t get a chance to get out there in time. The majority of them were fully bloomed and of course, we were expecting a great deal of rain. I decided to do a photoshoot with them and time was of the essence. Here are a few more situations and tips on how to handle them.
What If My Peonies Already Bloomed?
When temperatures warm up, these flowers will burst open super fast. If you find that your peonies are fully open, this is the perfect time to cut them. Even though they won’t last for long in an arrangement, you will at least be able to enjoy them for a short time. What do you have to lose?
What If a Rainstorm is Coming?
If you are expecting a significant amount of rainfall, you should cut your blooms since the rain will wind up knocking them over anyway. This way, you’ll still get a few days of flowers! Once again, to cut your blooms in these situations, make sure to go down the stem and cut on a diagonal, leaving some leaves on the bottom. Just remember that you’re not going to have as many days of vase life as if you had cut your peonies in the marshmallow stage.
I actually had a pleasant experience with my peonies. Even though they were already opened, I kept them in the fridge overnight and changed the water frequently and they lasted far more than I thought they would. For almost two weeks! I will explain why and where I kept my arrangement below.
Here are a few photographs from my impromptu photoshoot.
Here is a photograph with my feline assistant. He loves when I take the camera out and he always seems to find his way into my indoor photo sessions. Anyway, as I mentioned above, I have to keep any sort of flower arrangements that I make high up and out of harm’s way. As you may know, cats can be curious and many blooms are a big no-no to have within easy reach in your home. Peonies are no exception. These popular springtime flowers contain paeonol, a toxin known to be harmful to cats and dogs. If ingested, peonies can cause mild to moderate poisoning. Some common signs to watch for would be gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is important to remember to keep these beautiful flowers out of reach in regard to our furry family members.
I also recently purchased a variety of peonies seeds and plan to plant them this coming fall season. Hopefully, along with the help of more garden design ideas and growing tips from my new book, I’ll be able to grow more peonies from seed successfully. Eventually, this will bring me even more peonies for more colorful arrangements.
Planting in the early fall will give the seeds their obligatory warm moist treatment, as well as the cold treatment of winter followed by the warming of spring months. It will take quite a while for them to grow (about 3-5 years). I suppose the most beautiful things are worth waiting for and hopefully, my growing peonies from seed won’t be an exception. I hope to share my successful growing news in the future. Stay tuned!
Leave a Reply