I have about ten peony bushes lined up in my front yard. They look like the previous owners may have planted them last year. I can't say I am crazy about having them all in a row the way they are currently planted and am considering moving them, but don't want to kill them either.
Has anyone moved them successfully?

Yes and no. A neighbour gave me 2 when I first moved here and I planted them in the front of the house. One grew really well and even bloomed this year, the other one didn't do anything.

I heard on a garden radio show that peonies have a mind of their own and are hard to transplant successfully. Some will do well, others will grow well but not bloom.

I'm not really fond of peonies anyways, so I'll dig the one up that didn't do well and move it to another spot. If it doesn't make it, I won't be too sad.

I agree with CJ. My mother-in-law gave me some of her white peonies which I've always wanted. I planted half in my "moon" shaped garden and it has done beautifully. The other half I planted behind the house. It isn't doing well at all. Both get half sun/half shade. Go figure. Delaney says maybe they didn't want to be separated!! :eek: :D

I'm looking back thru the early posts and ran across this. Must have missed it the first time. I have a white peony that I have now moved 3 times. It was my mom's and I have moved it every time I move. It does seem to take a little while to recover but it does. The first year after I move it, the blooms are few but by the next year, it's back to gorgeous. It's the one thing I have of hers that I really feel connected to.

I've transplanted one successfully, my mil gave me one a couple of years back and it's blooming fine and lush in spring ever since.

I've moved one that was in the gdn when we got here, it was being crushed in the shade of a fast growing tree and the roots were stealing from it.

I've moved it over by my mil's peony and it survived the move last spring, but I'll see how it made out come bloom time this year.

I like putting lots of compost under them when I put them in my gdn. Peony likes rich stuff underfoot. I haven't treated either of them to a handful of bone meal yet but I will be this year, once in early spring right after the snow melts, and again in the fall.

I love peonies! They smell so wonderful! I have found that peonies don't like to be moved. It takes them some time to reestablish. I had a peonie that was at least 15 yrs old that I had to remove to make way for a deck. I was so sad! The roots were like tree roots! I wouldn't be surprised if it sprouted again under the deck. Then again maybe not because peonies do best in direct sun and out of the wind. I have some on the south side of the house that sprout early and bloom beautifully. I also have one out in the open that is late sprouting and doesn't bloom at all. I am zone 3.

I've moved peonies in the spring and in the fall and had the best luck with the ones moved in the fall. I guess the rule of thumb is, if it blooms in the spring, move it in the fall - if it blooms in the fall, move it in the spring.

Peonies can take years to bloom if you plant them too deep. Make sure when you move them that you plant them at the exact same depth (err on the side of too shallow). They really like full sun if you have a spot that can give them sun all day. The peonies I have were my grandmothers and have been here for over 75 years. I don't think they require a lot of fussing - they were unattended for several years when she was in a nursing facility and they still continue to bloom like crazy, even after having been completely neglected for over 10 years.

Another thing you want to be careful of is not planting them near your house. Peonies will attract ants - I guess they need to have them to bloom or so it is my understanding. Anyway, if you have an old house with old tasty wood, you'll end up with an infestation. Best to keep them away from buildings.

Good luck with yours...they are such a beautiful plant and also make lovely bouquets!

I have moved them but did in the fall. Mid October. The trick is to never plant them deeper than they were when you dug them up. I had good luck with them.