Love What'S In Season - Peonies

New Zealand peony season starts in early October and finishes in late January. They are primarily grown in the South Island as they prefer to be cultivated in cooler climates. Peonies are generally sold in tight bud stage but always open very well, and sometimes very quickly!

You can extend the vase life of your peonies by adding a few ice cubes to their water each day. Their average vase life is 5-7 days with proper care.

How To Care For Your Peonies:

- Fill a clean vase with room temperature water and add flower food to the water.

- Cut the stems 1cm diagonally and remove any leaves that will be touching the water.

- Place the stems in a supportive vase to prevent the stems from bending.

- Change the water every 2 days and recut the stems.

- Add a few ice cubes to the water to extend the vase life.

Fun Fact:

The Chinese were first to use Peonies for pain relievers. They were brought to Europe in the early 1200 and were used to ease the pain of childbirth, cure gallstones, and ward off evil spirits.

They are still used in Eastern medicine today but have not been popular in Western medicine since the middle ages.

Meet Our Featured Grower:

Suzette van den Boom from SuziQ’s Garden, is one of our local Peony growers from Queensberry, Central Otago. Suzette has been growing Peonies on her farm since 2015 and has been in the horticulture industry for over 35 years. Suzette uses sustainable growing and cultivation techniques to produce beautiful and fragrant blooms for all occasions.