Shipping Peonies

The scent from these homegrown peonies is delightful! (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Shipping Peonies

I love the peony season. Besides it having wild columbines, iris, lilacs and roses starting to bloom, the scent of peonies makes every room seem special.

Over the years, I have collected a number of peony bushes either rescued from other sites or gifts from gardening friends. The red peony was from a bush my neighbors tossed to the side of my road. I didn’t know what color it was but I did recognize it as a peony.

Since my family, book designers and cat friends are flower lovers, I decided to ship them peonies from my garden.

Peonies, iris, lilacs and roses growing on the south side of my hillside garden. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

How to Pick Peonies for Shipping

The key, according to a florist friend, is to pick the peony buds when they are marshmallow-soft. Too hard and the buds will dry up. Too open and flower petals will fall off before they arrive.

I also cut them early morning before warm weather encouraged them to open.

I shook them in the garden to leave the ants there.

The key to shipping peonies is to know when to cut the peony buds. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Once I had the flower buds, I cut them at an angle and slipped them into water picks, small water vials with an airtight flexible top. The water will keep the peony buds hydrated on their journey.

Ship each stem in water picks to keep the flowers hydrated. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

To make sure there were no mishaps, I placed the water picks in a plastic bag; folded and stapled the bag corners.

Using those air shipping pillows, I put them in the bottom and sides of the shipping box, then slipped in the peony buds.

I did send one friend blue iris but she confirmed they didn’t make it.

Great way to share your garden and brighten someone’s day!

Charlotte

May Gift Flowers

Lilies of the Valley are dainty fragrant shade plants. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

May Gift Flowers

Some of my May flowers are making an early showing this year. Peonies, Iris and Oxeye daisies will be blooming within the week, a good 3 weeks earlier than past years. One of my favorite fragrant spring flowers are also making an early appearance, Lilies of the Valley.

Here’s a photo of the Lilies of the Valley with a few other flowers in a vase in my kitchen. They are small delicate flowers and pack a lovely punch of scent. Only a few sprigs will easily fill a bathroom.

Lilies in the valley with pink dianthus and a red salvia spring in my kitchen. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Lilies of the Valley have also become a favorite wedding bouquet. A florist contacted me last year looking for some, apparently a bouquet of just Lilies of the Valley for a bride retail for $500.

As the May gift flower, Lilies of the Valley represent humility and happiness.

I planted mine several decades ago. I now encourage them to grow in shady areas and can make a pretty ground cover under trees. Their little bell-like flowers are popular with garden fairy scenes.

Yes, I said $500 for a bridal bouquet of Lilies of the Valley; last year prices!

Charlotte

March Gift Flowers

Daffodils can be solid yellow of a pretty combination. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

March Gift Flowers

Daffodils, sometimes called jonquils or narcissus, are the birth flowers for March. Because they often bloom in early spring, they symbolize new beginnings, happiness and joy.

There are literally thousands of daffodil varieties. The bulbs are found for purchase, and planting, in the fall. They need exposure to cold for several weeks over winter to get them to bloom in spring.

Once planted, daffodil bulbs can “naturalize” and get themselves established on their own.

Daffodils can also be picked when they are in bud. They will open once exposed to warm conditions.

One caveat. Don’t immediately mix daffodils with other flowers. They have a toxin that will kill off non-daffodils. If I want to mix flowers, I let the daffodils sit in water for a day or so, change out the water and then add them to other flowers.

Charlotte