Peony season is short. Here is how to enjoy it.
Peonies arrive in late April and are gone by the end of June. How to choose them, how to open them and why a closed bud is a good sign.
For about eight weeks a year the studio smells of peonies. They are the flower people ask about all winter, and the one we are saddest to see go.
Buy them closed
A peony that arrives as a tight, round bud is not a disappointment, it is a promise. Buds that feel like a soft marshmallow when you squeeze them gently will open within two days and last far longer than a bloom that is already open.
Let them be the whole bouquet
Peonies are big enough to stand on their own. Five or seven stems in a simple glass vase, cut short so the heads rest on the rim, is all they need.
When the petals start to fall, float the last heads in a shallow bowl of water. You get one more day out of them.
Our Peony Armful is on the shop from the first market delivery until the season ends. Sign up for the newsletter and we will tell you the week they come in.
