u/KimPossible10

We got hit by a major hailstorm the other day which stripped all my peonies of their leaves. Some 1st year peonies were already in the ground and had no buds this year. Others, were a little larger , with 1 or 2 flowers, which I kept in pots while I waited for the fall to plant them. They should be OK, right? We are close enough to fall where I would have been planting bare roots anyway, right? I’m in zone 6a. (Trying not to cry looking at these poor flowers. Photos of some of my annuals as well.)

What do you plant next to your peonies so you’re still getting color in your garden in July & August & September? My peonies all bloomed late May (photo of Sarah Bernhardt) and now they’re getting brown and gray (which I think is normal). I want to plant other flowers next to them but I’m afraid of the flowers choking the root or doing harm. So I’m looking for advice. Do you plant perennials? Annuals? What flowers?

I planted about 8 peonies last fall and didn’t get any blooms, so I splurged and bought myself a bunch from Trader Joe’s. I think I’m able to identify the two white ones - a Festiva Maxima because of its pink streak and a Gardenia or Duchesse de Nemours. But what is the bright pink/almost magenta one? Is that a Karl Rosenfeld? Or a Kansas? I would love to add that to my growing garden!