One of the biggest frustrations my favorite boy toy had with his orchid business was a condition called bud blast. It happens for a variety of reasons, from a rapid change in temperature to incorrect moisture in the greenhouse to just reasons unknown. All that work, all that effort, and you now have to wait a whole year to again see blooms.
Our peonies outside do the same thing. That usually happens because they start to bloom and the temperature drops or like this year, it started to rain and wouldn’t stop. The peonies are so pretty, the blooms don’t last long anyhow, and blasted buds make it go that much faster.
Not every bud dropped off though.
Word for tomorrow – SCRIPT. If you prefer to work ahead, see the list for the week under “A Word A Day”.
A Daily Life 
August 9, 2011 at 9:58 am
nice flower…
August 11, 2011 at 4:23 pm
I never knew this. I have peonies, and wondered why the buds dropped off rather than flowered. And, of course, here in the Pacific Northwest the weather does go from warm to cold…in the same day even.
thanks for the tip… :)
August 15, 2011 at 11:48 pm
I was doing a little research on bud blast and when I Googled it, both orchids and peonies came up.I knew about the orchids from personal experience, but I now knew why the peonies dropped its flowers so fast.
August 12, 2011 at 4:29 pm
I think there’s a metaphor here that I may blog about!
August 16, 2011 at 12:07 am
I can see that – there are some life lessons there. If you want to use the peony picture, just let me know.