Peonies as Cut Flowers

Peonies in Bloom

What a show stopper Peonies in Bloom are! Friends who visit, neighbors taking a walk or jogging by your property - when peonies are in bloom, they come to a stop to admire those peonies!

But, that's not all they're good for. You want them inside your house, lending its beauty, grace and fragrance to your rooms; adorning your dining table, your kitchen, your living room, anywhere you want it. Peonies make a beautiful addition to your landscape garden. As cut flowers - they are elegant! Even just a single bloom can be a dramatic addition to a room.(Pink Hawaiian Coral in an arrangement with Hostas, Irises and Allium).

To view Peonies in bloom, go to Peony Farm 2010 In Picture

I guess we need to talk about cutting peonies for your home.

Cutting to promote growth during the 1st year

During the first year of your peony plant, and if you can resist it, do not cut any flowers. But if you must, cut as little of the leaves as possible to promote root development. Just cut enough length to put the flower in a very short bud base. These leaves are essential to the peony so they store food for next years growth. So take but a few flowers from each plant and leave as much foliage as possible.


Leave as much as 75% of the flowers on the plants. Then, when the flowers are spent, deadhead it right away. Do not leave the seed pods on the plant. Remember, we are trying to grow the roots underneath for a more productive plant the following year.

You can certainly cut as many flowers as you want from your mature peonies, with a longer stem if you wish. Do leave as much leaves as you can because it will allow your peony plant to grow bigger.

Visitors to the Peony Farm tell of their grandmother's peonies that's been in place for over 45 years! Here's one that's been blooming for 3 years.

Optimum Time for Cutting Peonies

Cutting flowers in the morning applies to all flowers, including peonies. It is the Optimum time for cutting peonies. Peonies make excellent cut flowers. Key to enjoy it longer inside the house is to cut the peonies while still in bud, before the petals unfurl. Press the buds lightly. It should feel like a semi-soft marshmallow. Avoid buds with a hard marble feel, when the buds are too tight. the flower might not open.

A single bloom (type of peony flower) can be cut earlier (tighter bud formation) than a double bloom. A double bloom is bigger and has lots of petals and so would need to be a softer bud than the bud of a single bloom. Cutting at this stage will allow you to enjoy your peonies longer.

When you bring in a fully opened flower in the house, it will fall apart faster.

To plan your peony garden and/or peony additions, check out ---the Peony Catalog at www.ilovepeonies.com for the different varieties available.

Preserving cut flowers for when Company's coming

If you are going to entertain and want a massive show of peonies, you can preserve your cut flowers for weeks after their bloom time:

1. Cut them as described above. Store them in the refrigerator.

2. They can be stored with or without water, placed on their side, wrapped in damp paper towels and cling wrap, for up to four weeks.

3. A few days before the day of your event, take them out of the refrigerator, place them in lukewarm water and let them open fully in your home.

However, peonies stored for a long period of time will open faster and will not hold as long as the fresh cut peonies.

Enjoy your Peonies!