Peonies are traditionally a family favorite.

They make wonderful cut flowers in the home, are used in weddings and placed at cemeteries on Memorial Day. To maximize their vase life and assure that they open, it is important to cut peonies at the proper stage of flower bud development.

Here are some tips to harvesting and preserving peonies:

Begin by harvesting flowers in the soft-bud stage in the morning when the plant tissues are the coolest. The sepals, or green leaves that cover the flower bud, should be completely separated, and the colored surface petals should be exposed and beginning to separate slightly. When the bud is squeezed sideways, it should feel like a stale marshmallow. Harvest long stems, but leave at least two leaves on the plant below the cut. Removing more foliage will sacrifice future plant growth. Do not place cut blooms in water. Allow the harvested stems to cure in a shaded location for at least 20 minutes. Flowers placed immediately in water will “blast” or open prematurely. After curing, re-cut the stems under water containing a floral preservative, removing about 1 inch.

After hydrating them for 20 minutes in the water, remove and stack in bunches of 10. Allow the buds, stems and foliage to dry, then wrap in paper or seal in plastic bags and place horizontally on the refrigerator shelf. Peonies handled and stored this way will keep up to four weeks without significantly reducing vase life.

When you are ready to use the flowers, take them out of cold storage or the refrigerator the day before, re-cut the stems underwater and place in water. Flowers, if harvested at the right stage, should be open the next day if not before. Not all peony cultivars store well.

For long-term storage, store at least 25 percent to 50 percent more than you think you need.