It’s peonies season- one of my favorite times of year! My instagram has been filled with them and I’m loving it. What some people don’t know is the beauty that evolves as the peony blossom opens up. Natalie and I wanted to document it and share the incredible transformation it makes over a week. Honestly, while doing this I couldn’t decide which stage was my favorite. I love with the Coral Charm peony goes from pink pink to a soft peach. Find out more details about the evolution from Natalie.
I can’t believe how much these peonies change color. What makes them do that?
I just love flowers with personalities and the Coral Charm certainly has one. They start off with a vivid color as a way to attract pollinators such as bees. As the flower ages, they don’t have a need to be pollinated as much, and stop using their energy to produce the color.
Can you time their process? How do you prepare for their color change?
Personally, I love the color that they become more than the color they start as, and the waiting process is part of the beauty of the experience. If we have an event where we want to use the softer yellowish color, we buy the flowers almost five days in advance. It’s a very tricky dance and sometimes it works out great and sometimes the color just does not do what we want on the exact day. It’s a lesson in controlling nature.
Do you have any tips on getting peonies to open? Sometimes they are in such tight balls when I get them at the store.
Some peonies open more quickly than others. If you gently squeeze them, and they feel rock hard, they will take a long time to open. Some that are very small and tight, may not ever open. If they have a little give to them, you know that they will be opening in the next day or so. Peonies will open faster in warm water and if they are in a warm room. In a pinch, we have put them in front of a heater to get them to open. You can even gently peal the surrounding exterior petals off to help release the inner petals. In a single bunch you will have each bloom open at a different pace, as they are all at different stages of development.
Check back next month for another beautiful post by Natalie. She’s constantly inspiring me to bring blooms into my home.
Flowers by Natalie Bowen Designs | Photos by Heather Day for Sacramento Street.
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