klehm's song sparrow has lots of photos. have you checked their website? other sites have peony photos as well. best, mindy

In your zone non-blooming is typically because it's planted too deep. Peonies require a winter chill period where the ground is very cold down past their roots. Most people in warmer zones accomplish this by planting the roots so the eyes are just below the dirt. Another thing might be how big the root was when you planted it. If it was one of the big box store bagged peonies they typically do take longer to bloom, normally 3-4 years. A 3-5 eye division with healthy feeder roots planted in the fall blooms 1st spring probably around 50% of the time, almost 100% bloom by 2nd spring. They don't normally bloom same season if they're planted in the spring but it does occasionally happen. This site is the Southern Peony blog http://www.southernpeony.com/ I think her zone is probably the same as yours so you can get an idea of what's possible from what she grows, you'll see it's an enormous variety of peonies so don't lose the faith! If you think your issue is because of planting depth I'd wait until this fall to dig your peony up and replant it shallower after it dies back. If you see lots of eyes, I'd say over 7-8, you can cut it in half and replant as 2. Peony roots can be pretty brittle so don't panic if it doesn't come out in one piece. If you're in a humid area you'll probably want to let it dry overnight before planting if it breaks or you decide to divide it.

I agree with Nancy your plants may now be too deep. See picture attached - the eyes should be no deeper than 2". I prefer keeping them 1"-1 1/2" to allow for the plant sinking. Also the ants should not be an indicator that anything is wrong. Since you added 2 different elements to your garden the same year you're seeing problems it may be that one of both are the problem. Like you said you'll move the mulch back that should help. Are the rest of your gardens doing well with the same topsoil and mulch? If so, then you know that's not the problem. Will you be digging up the plants in question? Perhaps they are just having trouble adjusting to the crazy weather we've had this year. As the season progresses you may see nice foliage. Every thing you do will be to improve the situation for next Spring.

I moved into a new house this year, and to my pleasant surprise, peonies started popping up throughout the yard this spring. They have long since finished, but i would love to ID them. There were a couple Krinkled white's as well, but i identified them quite easily. Peony #1: Peony #2: Thanks!