Wednesday, May 19, 2010

How To Dry Peony Flowers

Wow, what a bumper crop this year!  Gorgeous!

 Ever thought about drying your own peony blossoms?  Well, if you've got the flowers growing in your garden, we'll talk you through it!   Just cut a few stems of blossoms.  Doesn't matter if they're wet from all these rains--just shake them gently in a downward motion while holding the stem just under the head (so that it doesn't break).  It's okay to leave some leaves on the stems.

Gather three stems into a bundle, staggering the blooms at different heights.  Don't be tempted to make larger bundles--any more than three will slow down the drying time.  Twist a rubber band around the stems and trim the stems off even at the bottom.

Straighten out a paper clip so there is a hook at both ends.  Insert one end of the hook into the rubber band holding the stems, then hang the bundle from the hook at the other end of the paper clip.

There ya go . . . any questions, be sure to let us know!  You'll be enjoying your peonies all year til they come back around again next spring :-)











5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am doing flowers for a fall wedding and she wants peonies, of course they are not in season at that time. Do these Peonies keep their color?

Anonymous said...

I am doing flowers for a fall wedding and she wants peonies, of course they are not in season at that time. Do these Peonies keep their color?

Kynda said...

The difference between dried and fresh is significant. Be sure to discuss with the bride to see if she likes the look of drieds.

It is possible to get fresh peonies out of season through your local florist--maybe a little more expensive, but worth checking out.

You can also suggest using faux to substitute. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

You can also cut them, dip the stem end in wax (an old candle stub melted will do), wrap them in cling wrap and refrigerate them. We did it and they do well. We only had a couple weeks to hold them, but I ran into a woman who did this for her daughter's wedding in August. She thought that of 150 or so stems she got about 100 usable flowers. More directions are online.

Unknown said...

Lovely picture! I was looking through pictures to find a good one of peonies on the farm where I grew up and can't find one. May I use this one for noncommercial purposes? I just want to share it on FB as a memory. I can give your site photo credit.