Just realized I could use a hair dryer to open tight peony buds for a last-minute order.
Had a bride call in a panic on Friday, needed a bouquet with white peonies for her Saturday wedding. My wholesaler only had super tight, green buds. I remembered my grandma used to put bananas near her roses to help them open, but that takes days. Out of desperation, I grabbed my travel hair dryer, put it on the cool setting, and gently blew warm air (not hot!) around the buds for about 10 minutes while they were in water. Checked them every few minutes. By the next morning, they had opened up perfectly. It felt ridiculous, standing there blow-drying flowers, but it saved the order. Has anyone else tried something weird that actually worked for forcing blooms?