How To Make Peonies Open Faster

Don’t be alarmed when your peonies arrive and they’re not the big, fluffy flowers you expected! To start with they’ll still be in their little bud form. Often times, a golf-ball size peony can open up to three times its size in just a day or two. And you’ll get to watch them bloom into all their glory!

1. Keep Them Warm

Filling up a vase with lukewarm (not hot) water and placing them in a warm room as soon as they arrive will do wonders in helping them bloom faster. Don’t forget to add flower food to give them all the nutrients they need!

2. Give Them a Little Massage

We know you’re looking at your screen with a befuddled look on your face right now but trust us. Giving the flower heads a little, gentle massage at the base (near where the petals join the stem) will stimulate the petals, making them open up faster.

3. Cover Them Up

If all else fails you could try covering up the peony bouquet with a plastic bag for a little while. We wouldn’t normally recommend covering up such pretty flowers. But, this does allow for naturally emitted ethylene gas to stimulate the flowers and open them up quicker, so we’ll let it slide just this once.

Fancy treating yourself (or someone else) to some peonies? Take a look at our beautiful peony bouquets here. But be quick, peony season doesn’t last very long!