Creating arrangements for a peony show
Creating arrangements for a peony show is a challenging but deeply rewarding artistic venture. Over the past four peony shows organized by the Société québécoise de la pivoine, I have created two to four arrangements each year. Since 2023, these arrangements are no longer judged, though some other clubs still award ribbons.
They are presented to enhance the exhibition’s atmosphere and inspire visitors with ideas of what they can create with peonies. Many of my home arrangements had already appeared on Instagram, which encouraged me to share them at the show.
Peony shows are perfect for amateurs
I should admit that I am not a trained floral designer. I am, above all, a flower lover who enjoys using peonies to create beauty and to celebrate their forms, colours, and presence, both in the garden and in arrangements. Knowing that a thousand visitors will see my designs makes the process both challenging and deeply rewarding.
All the peonies I use come directly from my own garden. I can step outside, observe them in the early light, and choose each stem at its peak, or just before. This allows me to create compositions that stay as close as possible to the way the flowers grow naturally, preserving their character rather than forcing them into something they are not.
Natural arrangements, simple mechanics
Rather than a traditional peony bouquet in a glass vase, I prefer arrangements that feel closer to the garden. My pieces are often large. I build them without floral foam, using branches, natural supports, rolled chicken wire, and Japanese frogs (kenzans). This lets the stems lean, move, and find their own balance. These simple mechanics are reusable and discreet. They keep the focus on the flowers and reduce waste after the exhibition. Sometimes I do a practice run the week before the show to test how the peony colours interact and the chosen fillers.
When selecting stems, I try to create an arrangement that will remain beautiful for two to three days by choosing a mix of freshly opened flowers and more advanced buds that will continue to unfold during the exhibition. I usually build the arrangements on site, the day before the opening of the show to the public.
I also enjoy working with a wide range of containers, from a simple wooden bucket to a vintage Chinese ginger jar, each one shaping the composition in its own way, as long as the peonies remain at the heart of the arrangement. I tend to favor monochromatic compositions, letting subtle variations in hue and texture create depth and harmony. This handmade yellow wooden firkin with yellow Itoh ‘Bartzella’ peonies is a great example of my monochromatic themes.
Other artful displayed arrangements
Meanwhile, a few fellow members create arrangements inspired by Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, where line, asymmetry, and negative space take precedence. In these compositions, every stem is deliberate, and restraint can be as expressive as abundance.
In some flower shows, participants are assigned a theme, and each arrangement must carry a title that reflects it. Our peony show, however, remains more open, allowing each designer to interpret the flowers freely, provided that peonies remain the main characters.
Beyond the Stems
This section of arrangements serves as a final ah! after the one thousand cut peony flowers are perfectly aligned throughout the show, allowing a close-up view of the forms and colours across the diversity of peony varieties. Together, the exhibition becomes a dialogue: expansive garden gestures beside quiet, contemplative compositions, all speaking through peonies. In comparison, the arrangements act like living compositions or floral tableaux: a moment to pause, breathe, and experience the flowers in a more sculptural, immersive way.
Live demo
For the past four years, I have led a live demonstration during the show, sharing how I design a peony arrangement from start to finish. I walk visitors through the mechanics, balance, tool selection, and the importance of choosing the right container.
It offers a genuine behind-the-scenes look at the creative process.
In 2024, I even invited a volunteer to join me on stage. Together, we created an arrangement that she proudly took home at the end of the day.
For 2026, instead of a demo, I will place special emphasis on fillers and companion flowers that are true allies when highlighting peonies in an arrangement.
Past peony arrangements
Here I share a selection of the arrangements I created for or during the Grand Bal des pivoines.
in a vintage kettle
at the 2025 peony show
After the show
After the two days of the show, I bring the arrangements back home. The ride is not always kind to them, but I give them a second life by removing faded blooms and adding a few fresh flowers. I photograph them for Instagram and enjoy them once more before they finally fade.
This was an arrangement presented at the 2025 show:
This is the second life I gave it, redesigned in a different container.
For many years, I did not use flower food in my vases, preferring to keep things simple. However, after listening to a floral expert explain its benefits, I decided to start using it. I hope it will help extend the life of the arrangements during the two days of the exhibition and beyond.
Preparing for the next peony show
As I revisit these arrangements, I am already thinking of June: new combinations, new containers, and newer varieties that will bloom in the recently planted beds for the next Grand Bal des pivoines. Creating arrangements for a peony show has been part of my gardening journey and has been deeply rewarding. I hope visitors continue to appreciate this ephemeral art form, where each composition exists only briefly yet captures the spirit of peonies.
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