Peonies can take full sun even here in sunny California. I question your soil, why does it not drain? The ends of the leaves drying out or turning brown can be caused by too much fertilizer, too much water, or soil that does not drain. Too little water would cause wilting which you don't mention. A little shade is appropriate until you correct the problems. If your soil is impossible you may have to replant it to save it, but replanting may also kill it. If you replant I would pot it in good well draining potting mix and hold off on the fertilizer for now. Northern California climate is fine for peonies. Al

Brighty, I had to laugh when I read your message. My husband thinks I'm crazy for spending so much time moving my plants to keep them in the sun all day. He said to much work! By the way I live in Placerville between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. I don't think there are too many zone 7's on this site but I'm going to try again. tdogdad, thanks for the info. I was thinking of looking into one of those heat mats I was wondering if I put it in the storage room that is basically like outside (it gets down to the 30's) and my husband has some left over plastic roofing from the hot tub area we thought put the plants on the seed mat and cover it with plastic at night. Will that be to hot? Have to look into the heat mat to see how that works. I don't know how you guys can have so many plants to take care of I'm running around just with 2 pots. But they are starting to look like plants now so thats kind of nice to see. It seems to happen over night. The problem with my house is the sun goes from one end to the other and we are in the pine trees so there is actually no windows that have full sun. Thanks again I'm sure I will need your help again. Mar

Good Morning All, Raeanne!! Nice painting. Very surreal. I like it alot. I can't paint my way out of paper bag either but the worse thing is that I wouldn't even try!! Patti, how was the block party? DeeMarie, it's good to hear from you sail along in the warmth!! Marci, thanks for posting Raeanne painting. That site is great. The Menu was Shrimp cocktail on a bed of baby greens dressed with lemon and olive oil. It was good Roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli & cauliflower, glazed carrots and wonderful gravy. Dessert was creme caramel with orange almond shortbread. It was very good. I made desert earlier in the week so that was a big help. The rest was pretty easy it was just timing, getting every thing out hot and the beef not overcooked which is was not. That was my big fear! It was delicious. Last night was a great success. DH was a very big help and the company was really nice, not stuffy. Two of the guest were jounalist, just back from Iraq. What tales they have. It's amazing. One of them is a woman who is a producer for the FOX network and she produces Oliver North's show War Stories each week. She is great, I have met her several times before. She travels the world while her DH stays at home and tendst to things there. Great couple. The other journalist is her friend and he had wild tales to tell too. Things I could never imagine. There was another couple there who live in DC. He manages a huge multi-million dollar pension fund for the government. He was the president of our local bank years ago! I'd say he's come a long way. I have to head back over there to make breakfast for DH and DFI and whoever else gets up! The two journalist couples stayed over last night. I am so tired I don't know if I am going to ride or have a nice long nap. Right now the nap is winning! Oh and just before I started to make dinner my temporary crown came off! I stuck it back in with some vaseline but it came out again. It's in right now but I can't eat!! It's uncomfortable though. Last night it didn't bother me much with all the wine!! NH Suzanne

Tikanis - I know now why my back used to hurt so much (thinking about carrying the six 10-lb sacks of potatoes!) Here's a question for all of you re: our 2010 Census. Have you received yours yet? If so, how was it delivered? Even though I was home all day yesterday, no one bothered to knock on the door or ring the doorbell. It was not delivered by the postal service. I accidentally found the envelope on our driveway floor by the garage doors. Fortunately, the rain had ended, or it would have been reduced to confetti. Our whole street was done this way. I would not have noticed it if I hadn't been taking the trash can out to the curb. And yet the government stress how important it is to participate in completing the form. Foolish me - I just assumed it would be mailed to us, but just throwing it on the driveway like the daily newspaper is the last way I would think such an important document would be delivered. Is it just down here in the boonies this is happening?