British peony season is here

If you’re looking for a bouquet that stands out, you can’t get any more luxurious than peonies. These herbaceous perennial plants, from the Paeonia genus, are native to Asia, Europe and North America. Peonies range in colour from deep reds to pastel pinks, vibrant yellows and creamy whites. Packed with delicate petals, peonies give off a mild, sweet and floral scent.

The Flint family have been supplying us with the best quality peonies from their farm in Lincolnshire for the past ten years. Laura and her father, Gordon, work continuously to not only improve the quality of the peonies they sell to M&S customers, but also the way they work with nature on the farm.

“For example, we could pack more peony plants into the fields if we chose to, but we find giving them a little more room ensures the air can flow more easily around the plants and reduces the risk of disease. We also plant other species like clover between the rows of peonies, to improve soil structure and provide habitat and food for pollinators and other insects,” says Laura.

Your peonies come in tightly packed buds, but over the course of a couple of days, you will see them open up to reveal their full glory.

1. Keep your flowers between one and one-and-a-half times taller than the vase you’re using. Jam jars work well as a vase, as do old, narrow stoneware pots. Opt for a narrow-necked vase to support the heavy flower heads.

2. Surround larger blooms with smaller ones, and fill in the gaps with sprays of foliage.

3. If you’re bouquet is looking too bare, clip some sprigs of leaves and other greenery from the garden to add in.