Peonies are one of the most rewarding cut flowers you can have in your home — but they do things a little differently from most bouquets. They arrive in bud, they open on their own schedule, and they respond noticeably to how you care for them. Get it right and they'll last seven to ten days, opening gradually into something spectacular. Get it wrong and they can droop within days.

This guide covers everything you need to know from the moment your peonies arrive to the last day they're in the vase. Browse our peony collection if you're yet to order, or read on to get the most from the blooms you have.

What to expect when your peonies arrive

Peonies are cut and delivered in tight bud — and this is intentional. Bud-stage cutting means the flowers travel without bruising, last significantly longer once they open, and give you the full experience of watching them unfold over several days.

When you open your delivery, the buds may feel firm and look far from ready. That's exactly right. Within 24 to 48 hours at room temperature, the buds will begin to soften and open. Full bloom typically arrives two to three days after delivery — and that's when peonies are at their most spectacular.

If your peonies haven't begun to open after 48 hours, move them to a slightly warmer spot away from draughts. A room that's too cold will slow the opening process significantly.

Vase preparation

Before your peonies go in water, take five minutes to prepare the vase properly — it makes a meaningful difference to how long they last.

Start with a clean vase. Bacteria in a dirty vase will shorten the life of your flowers significantly, so wash it with warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly before use. Fill it with fresh, cool water — room temperature is ideal for ongoing care.

Your Bloom Magic delivery includes a flower food sachet and a care card. Add the flower food to the water now — it provides sugars that help the buds open and inhibits bacterial growth, extending the life of the arrangement noticeably.

Stem preparation

Before placing your peonies in the vase, recut each stem at a 45-degree angle — even if they were already cut when delivered. Use sharp scissors or a clean knife rather than tearing or crushing the stem. A clean angled cut maximises the surface area through which the stem draws water.

Remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline. Submerged foliage rots quickly and introduces bacteria into the water, shortening the life of the whole arrangement.

Ongoing care

Change the water every two days. This is the single most effective thing you can do to extend the life of your peonies. Each time you change the water, recut the stems by a centimetre or so to keep the uptake channel fresh.

Keep peonies away from direct sunlight, heat sources and fruit. Direct sun and heat accelerate opening and shorten vase life. Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas which causes flowers to age faster — keep your peonies on the other side of the kitchen from the fruit bowl.

Top up the water daily rather than waiting for it to run low. Peonies are thirsty flowers, particularly as they open and the blooms become heavier.

How long do peonies last?

With proper care, cut peonies last seven to ten days in a vase. The timeline looks roughly like this: days one and two in tight bud, days three and four beginning to open, days five and six at full spectacular bloom, days seven to ten gradually fading but still beautiful.

The care you put in during the first 48 hours has the biggest impact on where your peonies land in that range. A clean vase, fresh water and a proper stem cut at the start will consistently get you to the longer end.

Why are my peonies drooping — and how to fix it

Drooping is the most common issue with cut peonies and it's almost always caused by one of two things: an air bubble blocking the stem, or the flower head becoming too heavy for the stem to support as it opens.

For an air bubble: recut the stem at a steep angle under running water — cutting under water prevents air from re-entering the stem — then place immediately back in fresh water. Within a few hours the stem should firm up.

For a heavy bloom: this is natural as the flower fully opens. Moving the arrangement somewhere slightly cooler will slow the opening and help the stem adjust. Some people find that shortening the stem — placing the flower in a shorter, wider vessel — provides better support for a fully open bloom.

If the entire arrangement is drooping, the most likely cause is bacteria in the water. Change the water completely, recut all stems, and clean the vase before refilling.

When to order peonies for an occasion

Because peonies arrive in bud and take two to three days to open fully, the best approach for a specific occasion is to order for delivery two days beforehand rather than on the day itself. By the time the occasion arrives, the flowers will be at peak bloom rather than just beginning to open.

For more on what makes peonies such a special choice — their meaning, symbolism and what different colours communicate — our guide to the language of peonies is worth reading alongside this one.

Browse our full peony collection for fresh peonies delivered across Ireland, or explore our Parisian hatbox collection for peony arrangements presented in a signature hatbox.