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There are two main types of Peonies and both types produce the buds for the following year’s flowers in the fall. One is the tree peony which really is small shrubs with woody stems and these lose their leaves in the fall just like many trees do. The buds for the tree peony form mostly on the stems above the ground.
Then there are the herbaceous types and these cultivars die back to the ground each autumn and the buds for this type of peony are formed underground at the crown of the plant and I think that is why they are more hardy in northern zones than the tree peony is.
These at the kind I planted about 4 years ago and each year when I see them come back I am amazed that they have become taller than the year before. Peonies grow from two to four feet tall and this season mine are about 3 feet tall. I have a large open mesh staked grid for them to grow up through since peonies tend to be top heavy and fall over. This piece of garden equipment solves the problem. It must be installed early in the spring because peonies grow very quickly and they will grow up through the open grid which will keep them from bending over and breaking.
Our peonies are in a very sunny part of the cottage garden and they seem to do well there, plus the soil is rich there and has been amended as opposed to other parts of our Kentucky heavy clay sections of our property. This is good since peonies need rich soil and lots of sun.
Peonies like heavy feedings and you would do well to use compost or even well-rotted manure to feed them. They do not really like chemical fertilizers. I suggest you top dress your peonies each fall and you will have good blooms the following season. Do not dress directly on the crown, but about a foot out from the crown in a circle.
Also should you decide you want to add some peonies to your garden then do so in the fall making sure you have a good sunny location and you give them about a three foot diameter in which to grow and keep them away from any trees or shrubs because of the tree or shrub roots.
The peonies I bought were from my local gardening nursery and they were the first time I had ever planted or even seen them. Here were thick brown tuberous roots in a little plastic bag with some wood shavings at $2.98 each. These roots each had about three to five small reddish buds near the tops which are called eyes. When you buy yours, should the peony roots seem dry, just soak them for a couple of hours in a bucket of water before planting.
When you dig your hole make sure it is large enough to spread the roots and make sure you mix in some well-rotted organic matter. Do not plant too deep or you will have fewer flowers in the spring. Just plant the root stock so the eyes are just one or two inches below the soil’s surface. Then backfill with your remaining soil and water well.
In the fall, after the frost kills the peonies, cut them down to ground and remove the leaves and stems as this will prevent infections such as botrytis because the old foliage can harbor that type of fungal pathogens that will damage your peonies in cold wet weather.
Peonies are usually happy where you plant them and I have never had to divide mine as of this writing. However, should you want to divide them all you have to do is to carefully dig out your clump and wash away the dirt so you can expose the eyes. Then with a clean, sharp knife divide your clump into sections. You must make sure that each root division has three to five eyes and good roots. You must also plant these divisions as quickly as you can, so it is prudent to have you near areas ready with the holes so all you do is replant and back fill as per stated above.
Peonies come in all different colors from white to yellows to pale pink to dark red and mine come out just about at the end of May and stay for about six weeks simply because I have chosen early, mid-season and late-season varieties. I have also discovered that the double flowered peonies are much more fragrant than the single flowered one and it seems to be that the pinks are more fragrant than the reds.
Besides their beautiful color and wonderful fragrance, peonies rarely need much tending and that is my kind of flower.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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