A Wedding Florist Offers Tips for Arranging, Selecting, and Taking Care of Peonies

Every bride and groom wants their wedding day to be perfect, an occasion to remember for years to come. One of the most memorable and beautiful aspects of a wedding are the lovely flowers, which are the ultimate expressions of love. An experienced wedding florist knows that peonies are one of the top choices to include in a wedding for their range of colors, romantic ruffles, and soft yet seductive appearance.

If you’re considering including peonies in your wedding bouquets and arrangements, these tips will help you:

Peonies Work Well with Other Flowers or Alone

Peonies are very versatile flowers, and you might find them in arrangements with lilies, roses, and other flowers, or all by themselves. A full bouquet of peonies, alone, makes a good traditional sort of wedding arrangement, and some varieties, such as, the coral charm peony can make for a more exotic look in a mixed arrangement.

No matter which direction you choose to take for your wedding, peonies will help your joyful occasion to shine all the brighter.

Peonies Have a Short Blooming Season

If you are growing your own peonies or buying them from a local grower, know that their blooming season is short and typically lasts from April through June at the latest. Generally speaking, they start to grow once the frost has passed and daytime average temperatures are around 65 to 70 degrees. If you’re hoping to use your own home-grown peonies for your wedding, know that peonies can take a few years before they bloom, so either plan ahead or already have some growing in your garden well before your wedding date.

If you’re buying them from a florist that has access to them year-round, none of this will be a concern, but call your florist to ensure this is the case before you make assumptions.

General Care

Peonies can last over a week when cut, but to get the best results, be sure that the buds are tight before cutting long stems. Also, if you see ants crawling all over the buds, don’t spray them off immediately. Ants consume the nectar, and in return will attack pests that eat your peonies’ lovely buds. If you don’t want them there, you can spray them off nearer to the date of your wedding.

Peonies make a lovely addition or stand-alone flower for any wedding, and a reputable florist from companies like River Oaks Plant House can order the perfect varieties for you all year-round. They can either recommend the perfect flowers to compliment your peony bouquets or the right variety to steal the show all by themselves. This can take loads of stress off of you when you already have so many other wedding decisions to make.

Sources
The Growing Season for Peonies, homeguides.sfgate.com
Peonies: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Peony Flowers, almanac.com