A late-spring flower with a short season
Peonies (Paeonia) bloom for only a few weeks, from about May into June in much of the United States, which is part of why couples chase them for weddings. There are three main types. Herbaceous peonies die back to the ground each winter, tree peonies are woody shrubs that have been prized in China for centuries, and intersectional or Itoh peonies are a cross of the two. A healthy plant can keep blooming in the same spot for decades. Ants on peony buds are common and harmless: they come for sugary nectar on the buds, and the flowers open fine without them. In China the peony has long stood for wealth and honor, and in the United States it is Indiana's state flower.
Blooms and buds in six colors
The set covers the main peony colors. There is a blush-pink bloom in full flower, a pale pink bloom seen slightly from above, and a two-tone pink bloom with full petals. A white bloom has soft ruffled petals, and an ivory bloom comes with a green bud and leaves. A coral bloom is opening from the center, a soft peach bloom shows its layered petals, and a deep magenta bloom adds the darkest note. Two images focus on buds: a blush bloom with one closed bud beside it, and a single bud just beginning to open. The buds are useful for filling gaps and for small spots such as monograms. Because each bloom stands alone with no vase, you can stack two or three into a loose cluster or line them along the top edge of a page as a garland.
Wedding suites, Mother's Day and spring florists
Peony season and wedding season overlap in May and June, so these blooms fit invitation suites, save-the-dates, menus, seating charts and thank-you cards for spring and early summer weddings. Bridal showers, engagement parties and rehearsal-dinner programs use the same look. Mother's Day falls in early peony season in many areas, which makes the blush and coral blooms a match for cards and gift tags. Florists, flower farms and wedding planners use peony art in logos, price lists and pre-order flyers for the short season. The flowers also suit perfume and candle labels, bakery boxes, Indiana-themed designs and spring garden-tour programs.
Blush, coral and ivory with soft greens
The palette is soft and warm: blush and pale pink, coral and peach, ivory and white, with deep magenta as the one strong accent and fresh green on the buds and leaves. The most frequent DMC matches on the page include 3713 Salmon Very Light, 822 Beige Gray Light, 677 Old Gold Very Light and 524 Fern Green Very Light, with Copic RV23 Pure Pink and E30 Bisque. Peonies combine well with garden roses and hydrangea for a full bouquet, and with eucalyptus or lavender for an airier look. The wedding hub has more.
Tip: arranging peonies on an invitation
Each bloom is a transparent PNG at 2048 by 2048 pixels, about 6.8 inches square at 300 DPI. On a 5 by 7 invitation, choose one dominant bloom at about 2.5 inches and place it in a corner, then add one or two buds at about an inch so a bud crosses slightly into the text area. That uneven grouping looks more like a real arrangement than matching flowers in every corner. The white and ivory blooms can disappear on white paper, so set them on a blush, sage or cream background, or pair them with a darker coral or magenta bloom behind.