Let me tell you a few thing about peonies:

• History and origins
• Variety and colours for the garden
• Peonies from the florist: Sarah Bernhardt
• My favourite peony: Coral Charm</li>
• Bouquet suggestions
• Care for your peonies at home

History and Origins

Peonies originated in China and were introduces in Europe around the 1870s. In Asia the root of the flower was used for medicinal purposes. The botanical name for this flower, Paeonia, dates back to the ancient Greeks. Paieon was the physician of the Olympian gods.

Varieties and colours, peonies for your garden

Peonies are available in about 30 different varieties. They are a beloved garden plant and grow to about a meter in height and will bloom in late May and June. They like sunny spots in the garden and bushes need to be pruned regularly. As a gardener you have a big variety of peonies to choose from, ranging from single to double flowering blooms, in shades ranging from whites, yellows, pinks, purples and reds. Have a look at this list, if you want to know more. These are the 20 prettiest peonies on Monty Don’s list of favourites. https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/10-beautiful-peonies-to-grow

Peonies from your florist: Peony Sarah Bernhardt

Florists favourite peony is the lush pink Sarah Bernhardt, which is available throughout April, May and June. This is one of the biggest blooming peonies and it comes with all the bells and whistles: a double bloom, frilled edges and a lovely scent. Sarah Bernhardt comes in light and darker shades of pink and is named after the famous French actress of Dutch descent (just like me).

My favourite: Peony Coral Charm

As an independent florist I too have my favourite variety of peonies, the lovely Peony Coral Charm. They are one of the biggest peonies available. They start out as perfect round hot pink buds. As they open they gradually shift in colour, starting in a beautiful coral shade which slowly fades into a salmon and ends in an off white colour. It’s like magic in a vase, with this variety your bouquet will display a different pallet on a daily basis.

Bouquet suggestions

Make sure not to put too many peonies in one vase. Because some of the flowers can grow out to more than 12 centimetres in width. I have created a lovely peony bouquet, especially for these last months of spring. Just look at those amazing pastel colours.

Care for your peonies

If you buy peonies from your local florist, make sure to pick one that have slightly opened. That way you are sure they will come to full bloom. Cut at least 1,5 centimetre of the stems of your flowers and put them in fresh water. Make sure to clean your vases on a regular basis. Peonies will bloom for about a week, if you buy the flowers fresh. You can prolong this time a tiny bit more by adding flower food to the water and by keeping the flowers away from your fruit bowl. Ripe fruit produces a gas called ethylene, which can shorten the lifespan of all your flowers.

We have more Peony bouquets on our website.

The Peony bouquet in White and the Peony bouquet Vintage are the best sellers this month. If you would like to add Peonies to a bespoke order, funeral flowers or wedding flowers please get in touch.

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