The Peonies are Blooming, The Peonies are Blooming!

Ok, ok this time last year the peonies were done for weeks already. But today one of my peony bushes started to bloom. Huge pink blooms. My neighbor boy came over and said they were as big as his head. My plants are actually started to get too big for the area I have them planted, so I am planning on moving them this fall. I figure it's best to wait until they have stopped blooming and have started to go into "hibernation" for fall. If thinking about buying peonies for your garden here are some things I have learned:

• Buy in fall when they are dirt cheap. I think I paid $1 each for mine, because in fall they look like a dead stick but are very much alive.
• Look for varieties that do not need staking, unless you want to put a cage around them.
  
• Tree peonies do not need staking, but are expensive and I have found them hard to keep alive. I lost one, my friend lost three, and my mom lost one. My mom is the only one who has one left. It bloomed this year for the first time and was beautiful and yellow.