Choose a spot in full sun or, in hotter areas, light shade. The flowers might not bloom the first year, but be patient. After all, you'll have years to enjoy this long-lived plant. The optimal time to plant bare-root peonies is fall, but if you buy one from a nursery that's already potted, you can plant it anytime, says Viette.
"Peonies are short-season plants," he adds. If you plant them by themselves, your flowerbed won't look its best. Viette recommends echinacea, 'Goldsturm' rudbeckia, and summer phlox as companion plants. "Russian sage and daylilies work especially well, too, because they follow up the season," says Viette.
André Viette Farm & Nursery, 800/575-5538, www.viette.com.
