The peony symbolizes love, honor and happiness. It’s the traditional choice for special occasions, offered as a token of best wishes. No wonder it’s the most popular flower for the wedding season—and a must-have flower for flower farmers!
Flower farmers can typically depend on peonies to contribute much to their annual total sales. One reason is that it’s becoming increasingly rare for customers to order old-fashioned flowers like peonies through commercial florists.
Of all the flowers here at our farm, peonies are certainly the most requested—not only by brides, but also by event planners and regular customers. We hope to add 30+ more to our field so we can accommodate the requests that come in each season.
To help you grow and harvest high-quality peony blooms for fresh floral arrangements, I offer the following tips.
Growing peonies
- In the spring, add a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer and then again about halfway through the growing season. Here at the farm, we use a fish and seaweed blend that’s well balanced and mild. However, be careful—do not overfeed. Overfeeding can cause a drop in bloom production.
- Hold off harvesting fresh blooms until the third growing year. Removing the buds in the first two growing years allows all the nutrients to return to the roots, which helps establish a strong, healthy plant.
Harvesting peonies in the third growing year and beyond
- Keep bud form in mind when harvesting. Harvest buds when they take a marshmallow form and are slightly soft to the touch. Do not harvest if the buds feel hard. Also, do not harvest too soon. If you harvest too soon, the buds may not open completely in your fresh floral arrangements.
- Always harvest early in the morning before the heat of the day and before direct sunlight hits the blooms. This will help ensure the beauty of your peonies in bouquets.
- Store buds in a cooler, wrapped securely in newspaper, laying flat and slightly staggered on a shelf. Stored this way, the buds will last up to three weeks. I can attest to the value of doing this. Here at the farm, it enhances our sales, giving more customers a chance to purchase peonies over a period of several weeks.
Keeping peonies fresh for floral arrangements
- In the evening before you’re scheduled to create a floral piece, remove the peonies from the cooler, cut the stems and place in water.
- Promote a longer vase life by replacing water every other day, just as you would with any flower.
May your garden be filled with the promise of peony blossoms!
Happy Gardening!
Pamela Anthony
Beehind Thyme Farm & Garden