Keeping With The Times

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Preserving Fresh Peonies

June 18, 2015 by Barb 9 Comments

The parade of flowers continues here in Alberta, and I want to share a tip about preserving fresh peonies for later use … later as in a couple weeks, or even a couple months!

This year I have a bumper crop of these beauties ready to pop … I know I’m going to be overwhelmed with possibilities … and quite likely I’ll feel paralyzed. It’s a common occurrence when we’re faced with overabundance. But luckily, I have an a amazing tip on how to preserve these beauties while still in the bud stage.

Our peonies bloom in June,  but with this tip, I was able to extend fresh bouquets for weeks!

Tip for Preserving Fresh Peonies for Weeks

  • Snip a few peony stems while still in the bud stage, making sure there is some colour showing (as in the following image)
  • Slip them into a plastic bag and tie it closed (no water necessary.) Again no water, no paper towels nothing … nada!
  • Place the bag in the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator and forget about it for a while
    Preserving Fresh Peonies, Keeping With the Times

When you’re ready for a fresh bouquet:

  • remove from fridge
  • snip end of stem
  • place in water

The blooms will open within a day! I’ll warn you that they don’t last long, perhaps a day or two depending on how long you stored them, but they are still beautiful.

When I finally removed mine from the fridge, it was near the end of August (and I had picked them in June!) I was quite doubtful it would work … but … here’s the proof:

Preserving Fresh Peonies, Keeping With the Times

Peonies in August

Preserving Fresh Peonies, Keeping With the Times

Peonies in August

Peonies in October

Peonies in October

I’d love to know if you try this, and how it works for you! and please pin my image if you like :)Extend Peony Bloom Time, Keeping With the TimesThanks for stopping by!

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Filed Under: GARDENING Tagged With: gardening, peonies, preserving

Welcome! I'm Barb, and this is where I practice my mantra to "learn something new, try something different". It's my hope that something I do here may inspire you! Read More…

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