I have a lovely pink peony bush that is about 8 years old. Every year gets better than the last, with larger blooms and deeper fragrance...I love it, can't live without it in the spring. I named this bush Natalie Peony, because it always blooms on my half sister's birthday, which is pretty soon!
Anyway, I was always under the impression that the peony needs the ants to eat off the waxy coating around the buds or else the flower will not bloom. THAT'S A MYTH!!!!
Read here for a great article.
The peony really doesn't need the ant at all. The ant is attracted to the sweet resin and does absolutely no harm to the peony at all, so no need to pesticide the poor thing!
I also heard another good tip:
To bring fresh cut flowers in the house, let the flower soak upside down in a bucket of water for 5 minutes. The ants get out and the flower isn't harmed. Only 5 minutes though!
Enjoy the wonderful fragrance indoors!
