Peony Update

Remember the refrigerated peonies?

Turns out the trick to refrigerating peonies is knowing what type of peonies you have. Single-petal peonies can be refrigerated in the hard-bud stage, but multi-petal peonies like mine must be refrigerated in the “marshmallow” - bud stage. The peonies in the fridge were clipped way too soon, and are now consigned to a life of permanent adolescence.

You can see them in the photo below: sad little balls of nothing.

The two pink peonies above, however, were snipped at the perfect pre-ant Marshmallow stage and put right into the water, not in the fridge.

And you know what? I don’t even want to see what happens when you put a marshmallow-stage peony in suspended animation in the refrigerator. Don’t care. i don’t need peonies in October. Peonies without ants in the spring are fine for me.

Gather your peony buds while ye may, while the ants are not a-crawling. If you squeeze them and they feel like a marshmallow, you won’t need to drown the ants.

Then you can have a big bouquet in your room the next day, making it even more like a hotel.

Comments

[KC]

That's not just a hotel, that's a *fancy* hotel! :-)

[TheQueen]

KC _ well, a Hotel with dated furnishings, that’s for sure.

[KC]

A vintage-styled B&B, perhaps? :-)

(the vase full of peony really is lovely, though!)

[TheQueen]

KC - I positioned it so it could be seen during my zoom meeting. Peony Proud.

[KC]

Did the other people in the meeting comment on your unusually attractive floral background? I think it's quite reasonable to be Extremely Pleased both with having peonies *and* with having indoor peonies without any ants. :-)

[TheQueen]

KC - no one remarked, except when I specifically said “aren’t these gorgeous.”

[KC]

But they are such remarkable peonies! Oh, well. Perhaps your co-workers are not very remarking.