Peony Growing Basics:

Peonies usually do NOT bloom the first year after planting. It often takes three years before you see an abundant display of flowers. But once the plants do start blooming, you can look forward to a lifetime of beautiful flowers. 
-

Peony plants rarely need dividing. If a clump becomes too large for a given space, or you wish to share some of the plant with a friend, fall is the ideal time for dividing.
-
Ants are crawling all over my peony buds. Are they going to eat the flowers?
No. These insects are merely enjoying the sugary syrup produced by the buds and are doing no harm to the plant.

Where To Plant

Peonies prefer a sunny location with well-drained soil. Good air circulation around the plant is also important. These growing conditions help peonies avoid their only serious disease problem: botrytis.

Planting Peony

To prepare the planting hole for a bareroot peony, dig the soil to a depth of 12-18". Use a garden fork to loosen the sides of the planting hole as well. Add a shovelful of compost and a handful of  all-purpose, organic, granular fertilizer, to the bottom of the hole and then add a shovelful of the original soil. Build up a "cone" of this amended soil inside the planting hole and then position the peony root on top of the cone with its roots hanging down the sides. It is very important that the "eyes", or growth nodes, located near the base of the old stem, end up no more than 2" below the soil surface. If the peony root is positioned deeper than this, the plant may grow well, but it will produce few if any blooms. 

Growing  Peony

A yearly application of organic, all-purpose fertilizer and a top-dressing of compost is all a peony requires for good health. If you mulch your flower beds, be sure to keep the mulch away from the base your peonies. If the base is covered with mulch, the plant reacts as if it has been planted too deep, and will produce few, if any, flowers.