Peony

Caring for your peonies

Peonies are usually delivered as firm buds that feel like marshmallows when gently squeezed. That is correct and deliberate. A peony shipped fully open would not survive the journey.

Recut the stems at an angle and put them in fresh water. Warmth opens them, so a warm room brings them on in a day or two and a cool room holds them back. Use that: if you need them at their fullest for an occasion, keep them somewhere cool until forty-eight hours before.

Remove any leaves below the waterline and change the water every two days. Peony foliage fouls water quickly.

If you find ants on the buds, they are harmless. Peonies produce nectar on the outside of the bud and ants come for it. Rinse them off under a gentle tap.

If a bud refuses to open, dip the head briefly in warm water to dissolve the sugar that has sealed the petals shut, then return it to the vase.