I’m so excited that the weather has finally turned and my glorious faves, peonies, are starting to show off! Appreciating how much we are all besotted with peonies, I chose for the feature image the dramatic ‘White Cap’ to really make a statement…playing the succulent magenta against a backdrop of a smoky-orange tablecloth .

Join me as I loose my creativity on some of the many ways to dress your home with these yummy June stems. Compliments of the two new peony beds created in the back courtyard, across from the rose chain (we ran out of room in the Cutting Garden…a plight to which I’m sure you can relate). We “chic-ed it up” a bit, too, by planting ‘Lady’s Mantle’ on the center rows to assure that the peonies have lots of breathing room. I love what their dreamy chartreuse adds to the scene…and ‘Lady’s Mantle’ blooms for a long time (especially if you cut them back after the first flush).

I’ll start by sharing a little Parterre tradition with you….”when the peonies come out, the slipcovers go on” …cafe’ au lait stripes paired with true creamy white cotton in the library.

On the sunporch…

to the marble mantle in the salon, where a monogrammed metal planter plays host to the complimentary shades of pink for which peonies are so well known…

to a corner of the salon (where the knockout ITOH ‘Morning Lilac’ reigns supreme).

A deep brown glazed faux bois container is a foil to the old books atop the veined marble console.

These beauties are such specimens that sometimes just a collection of a single stem in a vase is a statement unto itself.

Now, for a flower lover’s secret to enjoying a longer bloom time for your beloved peonies: How to “Hold Them Over”

The #1 way to make the most of a fleeting peony season is to follow a gardening term for putting them in the refrigerator for a future date (up to 2-3 weeks). Here’s how:

1. Water your peony bushes the night before to assure that they’ll be well hydrated before you cut the buds the following morning. Look for buds that are still closed, but “spongy” to the touch and showing a bit of color.
2. Place the cut buds in a zip-lock plastic bag, with their stems sticking out, and close as tightly as possible. They should not be in water.
3. Lay the plastic bag(s) on a shelf in the refrigerator (be sure that you have removed any fruit from that fridge as the gases emitted by the fruit might jeopardize the health of the peony buds).
4. When ready to use the peonies, remove from the refrigerator, recut the  stems and put in lukewarm water. Depending on which cultivar you have, the flowers should open in 12-24 hours. In my experience, the ITOHs and Coral Charm group (below) tend to open on the shorter time frame.

Don’t you love the way these Coral Charms change shades (from coral into soft peach into light pink and finally, parchment) as the hours go by?

At the last few Newport Flower Shows, I won ribbons using just this method of “holding over” my peonies. Wishing you great success also.