From bud to bloom: The magical process of the peony

There is almost nothing more enchanting than a peony in bloom. What begins as a compact, often small bud, turns into a spectacular, full flower with a lush appearance and soft scent within a few days. Each peony variety opens at its own pace - and each stage is special. We love peonies, so we have all our favourites in the range and are happy to tell you more about their flowering process - from dense bud to full splendour.

1. The bud - the beginning of the spectacle

When you just receive your bouquet of peonies, the flowers are often still in bud. This is not only practical for transport, but also ensures that you can enjoy the entire flowering process at home. The roses will then not arrive at your door blooming out and will not be damaged during the journey to you. Enjoy peonies the longest by getting them as fresh as possible.

At this stage:

The bud feels firm
Sometimes still enveloped by green bracts
Flower colour is sometimes already visible, but still subdued

Tip: Put your peonies in lukewarm water and cut the stems at an angle. This will encourage opening.

2. Opening - the budding of character

Within one to three days, you will see the first movement: the bud bursts open. The outer petals gently spread, and the colour starts to become more intense.

What it looks like by variety:

Sarah Bernhardt: soft pink petals come off in layers, as if whispering
Coral Charm: bright coral at first, then the colour changes to apricot-soft
Red Charm: deep red and velvety, dramatic in its opening
Duchesse de Nemours: ivory white with a subtle lemon scent, classic and elegant
Dr. Fleming: deep pink to magenta with wavy edges
Gardenia: creamy white with light cream tones, like an old Hollywood dream

Our peonies, in your vase

Coral Charm - salmon coloured

Sarah Bernhardt - soft pink

Red Charm - red

Duchesse de Nemours - white

3. Full bloom - the wow moment

This is the highlight. The flower opens fully, sometimes up to 15-20 cm across. The scent is at its strongest and the petals are beautifully airy or curling outwards.

Typical for this stage:

Lots of volume
Colour gradient is well visible, especially in Coral Charm
They immediately attract attention in any interior

Caution: do not put the flowers in direct sunlight, as they will bloom too quickly.

Extra tips for enjoying your peonies

The sugar coating: Sometimes you hear that peonies have difficulty opening. This may be because of the sugar coating on the peony's bud. This sugar coating can easily be removed by carefully going over the bud with a damp cloth. Don't press hard and make sure no water gets into the bud. You will see that you have helped the peonies tremendously this way.
Fruit: Don't put your peonies near fruit. Like other roses, peonies don't like fruit. The ethylene gas sat they emit causes peonies, like fruit, to ‘ripen’ faster. Your buds then start drooping faster, which is a terrible shame. We all want to enjoy our peonies as long as possible!
Leaf on the stem: Remove leaves that end up in the vase. Removing extra leaves on the stem can only help the peony. The water goes up from the bottom of the stem. The water then goes to the leaves on the stem first and only then to the bud. On the contrary, you want the bud to be able to absorb as much water as possible so that your peony can fully open up. So a little less leaf can mean more peony!
Cool and dark: It can help if you put the bouquet away in a cool room at night. Just as you and I need to seek shade from time to time, peonies also like it immensely. They don't like direct sunlight and high temperatures.

Care tips are included with the order. For more tips on care, please visit our care tips page.