Mixed peonies in Auckland: from soft bud to full bloom
Mixed peonies in Auckland open from a bud that growers call the "marshmallow stage": coloured, petals still closed, giving gently under a finger, like a marshmallow. A bud like that opens within a day or two in warm water and daylight. So what you're really choosing is the stem count and the way it's presented: a plain bouquet, peonies paired with hydrangea in Duo: Hydrangea and Peonies, or the Peonies in a Hat Box arrangement. The flowers are bought for your order after payment, and a photo of the finished bouquet goes out before the courier sets off.
How peony buds open and how long they last in a vase
A bud that feels hard, like a small marble, may stay shut once it's indoors, while a softer one opens within 24–48 hours given warm water and light. Once open, a peony holds in the vase for five to seven days with ordinary care.
Change the water every day and recut the stem each time you do. Keep the vase somewhere cool, out of direct sun, away from radiators and away from a bowl of ripe fruit nearby.
If the bouquet includes hydrangea, that flower drinks more than the peonies around it and takes up water through its petals as well as its stem. A head that has drooped can be lowered whole into cool water for an hour or two, though it shouldn't stay under longer than four or five hours.
The full range is on the peonies page, other boxed arrangements sit under flowers in boxes, and timing is explained on the delivery page.