Your Fresh Peonies Will Last For Months With This Useful Storage Trick

Peonies are stunning flowers that provide a touch of whimsy and elegance to your garden or home each spring. Their one drawback is that their gorgeous blooms have a lifespan of about one week. If you've been able to successfully grow beautiful peonies, it's understandable that you want to preserve them for as long as possible. Fortunately, there is a trick that if done correctly, will guarantee you gorgeous blooms even months later.

Timing here is key! Harvest your peonies in your garden before they bloom when their heads have only slightly loosened but aren't tight little balls. Cut them at least 16" long and avoid putting them into water as it will fuel molding. Be sure to use clean shears as well to prevent bacteria from wreaking havoc during storage. Once cut, remove any leaves, dirt, or insects—especially ants. Blot your stems and flower heads dry with a paper towel and then using 20" wide plastic wrap, roll the flower and stem snugly. You can also wrap the heads of the flowers in a paper towel.  Store your plastic-wrapped peonies in a resealable plastic bag, removing all of the air from the bag. Then store your peonies horizontally in the fridge for weeks or months. Just be sure not to stack anything on top of them as it will damage the flowers and cause them to decay faster.

When the time has come to resurrect your stored flowers, you'll want to start the process two days before you want them to bloom. Having been stored in the cold for so long, the flowers require this time in order to warm up and open. Gently remove your plastic-wrapped peonies from the plastic bag and carefully remove them from the wrapping, using scissors if necessary. Using fresh shears, cut 2 inches off the stem to remove the calloused end, allowing the flower to drink.

Prepare your desired vase with lukewarm water. Then arrange your peonies in the vase, adding any greenery or other flowers to complement the peonies. Always be sure to remove any leaves that touch the water inside the vase as they encourage the growth of bacteria. On the second day, replace the water with new lukewarm water and add any flower food to elongate their lifespan. Now your peonies should begin to open and provide a pop of color to your space.

As the peonies open up, you may notice that some of the outer petals may have brown edges. This may be common for white or light pink peonies. Gently remove these petals to expose cleaner, intact petals underneath. Moving forward, it may be better to use darker varieties of peonies such as the fuschia or purple ones as the browning will be less noticeable.