This weeks bunch is extra special. We have included four peonies in our single bunch and eight in our double. As peonies have a very short season we really want you to be able to enjoy them while you can.
We have selected the Sarah Bernhardt peony, the performance peony, the red Bernhardt and the festina maxima peony.
We have also included some gorgeous summer flowers in this weeks bunch, sweet spicy stock, country garden rose, pip pretty crysanthemum, phoebe pink waxflower, pale pink delphiniums, sweet pea, and aster. Greenery comes from leafy pistacia
We love Peonies! Even though their season is short but sweet!
Fun Facts about Peonies
Beautiful, fluffy, giant cloud like flowers. It's our number one summer favourite the Peony. And if like us you are also a big fan of the gorgeous peony, we have compiled some little known facts about this firm summer favourite.
The peony is a symbol of good fortune, luck and for a happy marriage. Which makes sense as they are often used as wedding flowers.
Peonies are the 12th wedding anniversary flower.
They have a very short season and only bloom through May and June. But as we say it's short but very sweet.
The peony is the native flower of China. It is known as the 'King of Flowers'. The peony flowers represents good luck and honour in Chinese culture and is often seen in Chinese art.
Peony plants can grow to be very tall. They can also live for up to one hundred years!
Peony flowers start as tight tiny buds, but can bloom to almost three times this size. It is a sight to be seen! (If you want your peonies to open up fast, check out our tips and tricks above)
They have a shorter vase life than other flowers, from five to seven days. We think this makes them all the sweeter.
Different colour peonies have different meanings, red symbolises love and passion, pink peonies are for good luck and prosperity and white peonies indicate bashfulness, can be great for an apology. Who wouldn't forgive a big beautiful bunch of white peonies.
Did you know they are loads of varieties of peonies. With new ones available each year. The peony comes in every colour, except for Blue!
Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America.
Peonies are said to have medicinal properties. They have been used in the past to treat headaches, inflammation and asthma. The roots and seeds of peonies were used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Peony Tips & Tricks
Peony season is short but sweet! Starting in May until June.
We have some of our tried and tested tips and tricks so you can make the most out of your arrangement.
Peonies come in tight buds and can take a couple of days to open fully. If you want to encourage them to open faster, place them in a bright room warm room.
But remember to avoid direct heat sources like sunlight and radiators as these can cause them to wilt faster.
You can also gently massage the heads of peonies to help them open faster. This mat sound strange but it can stimulate the petals and make them want to open sooner.
Cut the stems at a diagonal so the flowers can drink up lots of water. We recommend changing your water every other day to keep it nice and fresh.
Watch these beauties bloom and enjoy!
HOW DID PEONIES GET THEIR NAME
There are two different Greek myths describe the meaning of the peony. These stories indicate that the peony received its name from Greek mythology.
In the first story, Paeon was the physician to the gods. He made his teacher mad when he took the liquid of a plant to cure Pluto. The teacher, Asclepius, was jealous of Paeon because he was the god of healing. When Zeus heard Asclepius’ plan to kill Paeon, he turned the physician into a flower he called a peony.
The other story tells of a nymph named Paeonia. She was so extraordinarily beautiful that she won the interest of Apollo, the son of Zeus. Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, grew jealous of Paeonia and turned her into the peony flower.
