If you've been a fan of Hannah's Flowers for a while, you will know that the annual blooming of Hannah's peony field is a sensational, yet short season, of undeniable exquisite beauty.  The peony garden was first planted back in the fall of 2019 and has been a yearly work in progress ever since. Though, nothing sprouted with the following spring, anticipation and hopes for a future season of full blooms grew vastly. It wasn't until 2021 that the peony garden began to really take form. Now with each brisk fall season, Hannah and her family breach the cold and trek through crispy autumn-colored leaves to lay the foundation for peonies to arise once again as spring emerges. 

In the recent weeks of May, Hannah and Alina have noted that the peony fields have risen rapidly and mighty, towering to waist and chest high lengths. This growth has all evolved within the last two weeks, with each peony stem varying slightly in height and bud bloom maturity. Alina acknowledges that the stems that have sprouted the quickest have peony oil seeping on the buds. She describes the oil as super sticky like sap and exudes smells of intense fragrance. As the peony stems continue to soar every day, the expectations for the upcoming weeks are starting to become solidified. 

As we approach June, and the peak of peonies are shortly in sight, Alina and Hannah are expecting to see soon the vivid colors of the bloom emerge out of the bud. The other peony buds will begin to have oil and grow another estimated 10-12+ inches. When asked how it feels seeing the field show rapid life, Alina said, "The best part is just seeing them grow and how much they change in such a short time. I also love seeing the bugs they bring in, like caterpillars, butterflies, and bumblebees."  As an avid peony lover, Hannah awaits this short season all year-round and daydreams of escaping to the field daily. "I'm very proud of the work we're doing, it's really coming together and getting organized. it's an amazing feeling being out there and witnessing the transformation."  

Beginning sometime mid-June the peonies will be processed and ready to take the spotlight in our shop! These beautiful blooms will add the perfect element to your arrangements and will also be available to buy per stem if interested. Although it is hard to determine how many stems there'll be from this harvest, the field shows promise of a substantial supply. "If it's a good year, we'll get 2,00 peonies," Alina said with anticipation. Once cut, the peonies will last a week, but can live longer with other methods. One way is through dry packing, which is a way to preserve florals for use in the future, even a month or two down the road. 

As growth continues with every rise and dawn, the excitement for the quick bloomed season grows with it. By next month at this time, our beautiful shop will be flourishing with the gorgeous presence of peonies! Make sure to stay up to date with the peony progress on our Facebook for regular peony check-ins, pictures, and livestreams. 

​
​

Beatrice Roses are one of Alina's favorites because of their undeniable frilly texture. Beatrice Roses exude a beautiful floral fragrance that fills up the room it accompanies. They're bright and command attention with inviting warm outer petals and an inside flourished with a coral hue. Beatrice roses are very unique and unexpectedly dainty. ​

Patient Roses are gorgeous garden roses that obtain a rough texture and are compacted with silky petals. Alina adores their dreamy buttercream hue in their center and the sweet flowery smell they release. These roses are very high-end, and their price matches their status. Alina notes that "everyone needs a little patience in their life."

Juliets win again as Alina can't help but be a big fan of these remarkable roses. Alina adores the colors of these roses expressing that they are "a warm yet cool color, with notes of thalo blue and vermilion undertones." 

Heart Roses are many times a bride's favorite due to their garden rose style at a standard rose price. These big, beautiful blooms are so vivid and vibrant and exude romance and elegance. 

​

Quicksand Roses are a very versatile and very on trend with their neutral color. These roses are loved by brides because they are both sophisticated and ro​mantic. 

Eskimo Roses are adored by brides because they complement many different colors but have their own elegant natural appearance as well. These roses are small enough in size to make good boutonnieres. 

​​How to Buy: 

• Go to your trusted florist and ask for the freshest roses in stock.
• Ask for the roses arrival dates if they are not labeled already.
• Because each rose varies, ask about opening characteristics and timelines.   

How to Keep Roses Nice: 

• Cut your stems at 45 degrees angle every other day and replace water often.
• Ask your florist for floral food and floral solutions.
• Remove any imperfect petals if they are to appear. ​

Your roses should last 5-7 days if not longer, while non-florist grade roses last a much shorter duration, likely only 2 days.  

​ Winter Kale is a gorgeous element that is very effective in displaying volume and texture in our arrangements. Not only is it a beauty on the eyes, but it is also an edible vegetable! Although tempting for our veggie lovers, we do not recommend our clients to make a salad out of their arrangements. Winter Kale, as pictured to the left, also comes in a striking and dreamy lavender shade. Another reason we love this vivacious veggie is its durability through the season and how long-lasting it is. We estimate your Winter Kale will live a good one to two weeks after leaving our shop. 

Creme De La Creme is a soft and alluring rose that we absolutely adore. Its roots begin in Ecuador and its stylish French name makes is a memorable beauty. Its cream-colored hue makes it a perfect element to reflect and blend with more stand-out vivid flowers. It is a star in its own sense because its center radiates a warm glow. This new-to market flower is soon to be iconic in the world of floral.

This pure and elegant white stock is out of a winter fantasy. It exudes a sweet and spicy scent that adds a warmth to whatever arrangement it accompanies. Stock comes in a variety of colors, including, ivory, pink, and shades of purple. This flower adds a graceful length and height to its arrangement, as well as a balance.  
​

Ginestra is a magical winter element that adds texture and flare to our arrangements. It's woodsy and dainty aura gives a natural look to our pieces. Its branch-like texture adds an earthy essence to elevate all surrounding florals. Ginestra adds amazing dimension and composure to all floral designs. 

Hydrangea is a fluffy and cloud-like flower that always adds an elevating volume. This striking and modern floral is massive and is sure to be the focal point of its arrangement. It's perfect for winter because it reflects the gorgeous white snowballs of the season. Pink and blue hydrangeas are more popular in the summer, as their vivid colors match the tone of the season. 

Another favorite of ours is the Variegated Pittosporum! This fancy greenery is a way to elevate and sophisticate our beautiful arrangements. We've noticed throughout the years that this green is a bridal favorite, with it repeatedly showing up as an accent for pink and blush themed weddings. Variegated pittosporum comes from a unique family, with miniature versions and non-variegated forms. 

This striking green is called a dianthus. Although very different in appearance, dianthus is a relative to the classic carnation.  We love using this in our winter arrangement because it adds an eye-catching texture with its fluffy stature. 

Baby's breath is a fan-favorite and a highly popular filler flower. Baby's breath is a striking white and super fluffy, adding a soft and textured allure. We love adding baby's breath to our winter arrangements because it is sure to compliment the other flowers. Although it's winter, we foresee baby's breath being another huge trend this year in weddings, baby showers, and bridal showers. 

Tulips are a blooming flower that grace our presence typically in the spring and summer. Tulips add a refreshing spring feel while we're still in the frigid months of winter. There are two types of tulips, standard tulips (as pictured), and parrot tulips. Parrot tulips have a frillier appearance and are harder to come by in the world of florals. We love adding these in our favorite winter pieces as they add a natural elegance, are fun, and super charming. 

Lisianthus is a rose-like floral that exudes class and luxury. It's a perfect winter white because of its exquisite design and chic appeal. It has a unique and clean allure that allows it to be an excellent accent in any arrangement. Lisianthus is the definition of 'pristine white' in the collection of white florals. This stand-out difference makes lisianthus a favorite for brides in look of an all-white wedding. 

When asked who floral rehydration is good for, Hannah illustrates that "Floral Preservation is good for anybody who has flowers from the past, that might be hanging out in a book, a box, a closet, or a drawer, the rehydration process is good for anybody who is a saver of florals."  She continued to explain that although it might be cool to put your bouquets or special flowers in boxes, over the years they eventually break down and turn into a fine mulch. "Floral rehydration is a great last step to ensuring that your special flowers really do last a life time." ​

Curious on if all flowers, no matter type or age, can be adequate candidates for rehydration? Hannah 's short answer is "yes." Although most saved flowers can be rehydrated, results are limited to the level of decay present with in each bloom. 
"Age really has nothing to do with if a flower is a good candidate or not."
​

Step 4: Loading the presses!
Pressing flowers is a lot like BINGO, everyone seems to have their special way of doing it. Presses pretty much have the same mechanics. Two boards, some tissue, cardboard and clamps or tightening agents. These are different from press to press but they all seem to have the same larger idea. 

​The Bouquet we will be sharing with you is one which was made at Hannah's. The photo to the left was taken prior to putting on the ribbon wrap at the stem. This is good because you seldom get to see the mechanics of bridal pieces. All florists design differently. I use soft corsage tape to hold my stems so that they will not get cut or crushed. Keeping the stems in tact is also key to keeping bouquets fresh!

Step one: Assessing the bouquet  
Not all blooms are going to be good for pressing, some blooms may be dead and some just may not be visually appealing.  We have to take the bouquet apart to inspect the blooms. 

The stems are in incredible shape for a bouquet. They were still very hydrated and fresh looking and they were still very stiff. 

Step Two: Choosing the blooms.
This is where an artful eye, a few tricks of the trade and a designers touch comes in handy. This is a very critical part to creating a stunning finished product.  

Step Three: Choosing the blooms
They are all pretty, but you can only choose a few depending on the size of the ordered finished piece. We also must consider what blooms will press best. Because this was a Hannah's bride, we knew that Sweet pea has very important sentimental meaning to her so we made sure to  press a good portion of it. Sweet pea is not going to be the most stunning specimen in the frame, but it may be the most meaningful.