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Peonies bloom for up to eight weeks between April and June, meaning if you want cut flowers, you’ll likely receive them in a pre-bloom preserved state. Depending on the peony species, they can be preserved for up to a few months before they finally flower, allowing peony lovers to have a bouquet later in the year when the plants no longer produce blooms. These preserved flowers will need a little coaxing to open up, as will the fresh flowers you cut from the plant before the buds open. Luckily, if you’re in a bit of a hurry, warm water and sunlight will do the trick.
You can use warm water to open blooms pretty quickly. While it’s best to allow the flowers a day or two to open up naturally, if today is the day you need them to be on full display, it is possible to have them ready within a couple of hours. We’ll walk you through the easiest way to get your peonies to open.
Warm water opens up the blooms
Whether you just cut the flowers off the plant or received them from a florist, you don’t have to wait for them to bloom on their schedule. You can speed up the process a little bit with warm water and sunlight. The water should be tepid, just slightly above room temperature, but not so hot that it will damage the flowers. Start by removing all the leaves you don’t need for the display, and cut the ends of the stems on an angle. An angled cut helps the flowers absorb the water, and fresh cuts can be done periodically. Place the peonies in a vase of warm water (add some flower food for an extra kick) and let them sit in direct sunlight, or at least a well-lit room.
If you have no spare time, you can speed up the process by dipping the flower head into a bowl of warm water. Hold it there for up to 15 seconds, gently twisting it in the water. Be super careful if you have to go this route so that you don’t cause petals to fall off or break the stem.
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