It's cutting it close, but it's still probably ok. In any event, unless you're able to properly protect the pots, they'll be better off in the ground no matter how late it gets. I would recommend against fertilizing them though and I'd protect them a bit more than normal this winter since they will only be partly establised. In general, I like to leave six weeks between planting/dividing/etc and the first hard frost. Since it's not really possible to predict exactly when the weather will turn, this is just a guideline I follow. I don't worry too much about it :-) BP

Your peony will survive if cut back now, and to prevent the spread of powdery mildew to other susceptible plants nearby that might be a good idea. Care should be taken to bag the mildewed plant material carefully to contain the spores. Now I would spray the cut back plant and the ground generously with a fungicide. Al

There are a few diseases peonies are prone, but as far as I know the best care is to cut away all the stems & leaves to the ground, don't leave them there to carry the disease to next year. Don't add this debris to your compost pile either, it can live there then spread to your other plants. Adding a little compost around the soil can help rebuild them for next year, but don't add too much so that the eyes are covered too deep. Make sure there are no plants too close, the peonies need good air circulation.

The only time I've seen mine look like that is when I haven't watered them enough but then they're normally droopy, too, and yours aren't. Have you had some really sunny, hot days already? Could it be just sun scorch on the leaves? Are they absolutely full sun every day? Full sun is not a bad thing at all but if no one here diagnoses your issue as something else I think I'd try to put up something to shade that one a bit in the heat of the day for a while to see if that helps. Having the roots as close to the brick edging as it appears to be might be heating them up a bit more than you'd want; might be a bit stressed, and shade during the hottest part of the day might be a good thing! I've seen pictures on Cricket Hill's website where they have pretty umbrellas over some of the peonies, it doesn't have to look bad! I assume the distressed one is Shirley Temple because the foliage looks more of a typical herbaceous peony. The foliage on the larger one is interesting to me. I could easily be mistaken, think my mind is going already sometimes! It looks more like Itoh or tree foliage to me. Has either of them bloomed for you before? If so, I'd love to see pictures! Other members, what do you think? I'm not claiming to be an expert at all, just going by what I see in my yard so don't hesitate to disagree!!!! I'm bored and want to get a discussion going! Good luck with your peonies, A Newfoot! Please post pictures when they bloom! Mine won't for another month at least so I drool over everyone else's!