Such long-lasting and beautiful plants deserve proper placement in your yard. They grow best in full sun, but will tolerate light shade. Peonies grow up to 30-40 inches in height, so they look awesome at the back of the bed with low growing perennials in front.

If the roots of your new plants seem dry at all, soak them overnight in a bucket of plain water.

Plant in well-drained soil, three feet apart. Dig a hole at least eighteen inches deep and twenty-four inches wide. Mix with the soil a pound of bone meal and generous amounts of peat moss, compost, or well-rotted manure. (Never use fresh manure; you'll burn your plants to death.) Put this mixture around the root ball and pat snugly into place. Water well to settle thoroughly.

Cut down and remove old stems after the first frost. This helps prevent infection from the botrytis fungus, which can damage your peonies even in cold weather.

It's wise to mulch every fall to protect the plants from harsh winter weather. A thick layer of fallen leaves or even Christmas tree boughs can serve as mulch, depending on when the snow falls!

After a few years, if you notice your plants aren't flowering as well or seem crowded and tired, they will benefit from dividing. This job is best done in the fall right before the plants go dormant.

Carefully dig out the clump and divide with a sharp knife. Wash the soil away so you can see what you're working with. Make sure each new clump has at least three to five "eyes" in it and good roots. Transplant as quickly as possible.

The tall, double hybrid peonies will need staking! If you don't like this job, choose the single flower varieties.

Put out your hoops or supports very early in the spring, just as the new leaves emerge. Peonies grow very fast. One very attractive way to support any height stem is to place four bamboo stakes in the ground at the four corners of the plant. Then, weave garden twine in a criss-cross pattern through the stems and leaves to support the plant and its blooms.

Please deadhead your peonies when the blooms fade! Better yet, cut the blooms before they fade and enjoy them on your dining room table. Cut well back into the plant so you don't see the tips. The plant won't make anymore blooms, but the foliage is very attractive all summer and into the fall.

Ants love peony flowers, but contrary to popular belief, there's no harm done, so no need to spray for ants. Also contrary to popular belief, the ants don't help the flowers to open, either. They're just there getting a snack.

To remove this pesky insect from your cut flowers, dip the blooms in a bucket of plain, cool water and swish around for half a minute or so.

Peonies are easy-care plants, but every once in a while you may encounter a problem.

"Bud blast" is when your peony flowers stay very tiny and then die and drop off. This happens most commonly with newly-planted peonies, such as after division or fresh from the greenhouse. The root systems aren't established yet, and the shrub sets its flowers in the fall, so it doesn't have the strength to grow proper buds yet. Just be patient.

For more mature plants, bud blast can be caused by poor soil, too much shade, dry weather, or a late frost or harsh winter. Determine what's going on and remedy the situation.

Botrytis fungus attacks peonies during cold, wet springs. Cut off the wilted or brown stems and discard in the garbage (not in the compost pile). Disinfect your garden shears with bleach. To prevent problems, always plant in a sunny location with good air circulation, and remove all mulch when the weather warms up in the spring.