British Flowers Week Day 1 - Peonies18 June 2018British Flowers week - Day 1 The Peony To kick start our week of wonderful British flowers we’re going with a firm favourite – The Peony. Here’s a few fun peony facts: Peonies originate from China and Europe and were originally used to treat headaches, Asthma and used for pain relief during childbirth – we’ll stick to the gas and air! Ants LOVE peonies, you’ll quite often see ants climbing all over your Peony plants but don’t worry – they help the blooms to open by eating the sticky sap off the buds. They help to pollinate the plants and encourage them to produce nectar. Ants also keep other bugs that may damage the plants away Peony plants can live up to 100 years old and still flower The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower Peonies are associated with good luck and good fortune which is why they are so often used in wedding bouquets Peony is the 12th Anniversary flower Peony petals are edible! In China they are boiled and made into tea and used as a garnish on salads The flowers can reach up to 10 inches in size depending on the variety Available from mid-May to early July (weather permitting) If you want to get the most out of your cut Peonies it’s always best to buy them when they’re in bud, that way you get to watch them opening too! To care for them and keep them for as long as possible follow the steps below: Trim 5 cm off the stem diagonally with a sharp knife. Use a clean vase and fill it with fresh water. If your peonies are thirsty top up the vase. Don’t place the vase in a draught, in full sun or near a fruit bowl. Now you know all there is to know about them, and how to look after them, all that’s left to do is to buy them! We’ll be stocking British Peonies throughout the week for you all to enjoy!