I remember my grandma soaking them in a bucket of water heads down for what seemed like forever to me to get all of the ants off. At least 20 minutes? That was what I did this spring, the ants were off and the flowers seemed fine.

Aren't they Magnificent!!..If I could grow them here I would have hundreds of them..this I know..LOL...I was told I could plant the "Tree Peony" form in morning sun and afternoon shade..but the thought of killing something that usually costs about 70bucks is too much for my heart..thanks for sharing..they are stunning!!..You made my day...Jeanne

Jeanne, people successfully grow Peonies in your zone. YOu just have to choose early blooming varieties and single/Anemone shaped ones. Also, you have to follow some simple rules: plant them more shallow than recommended for the north, protect them from afternoon sun and keep the soil moist during hot weather. You can find American Peony Society recommendations for your region here. Scroll down and find SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPECIAL REGIONS for TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA . Also, I bought Tree Peonies for $8-18 on late season sales. They are smaller plants, but bloomed for me on their second year in the garden.
Miguel, I cut Peonies when the flowers are not opened yet and wash ants easily from them. It also prolongs the flowers' life in a vase. Nice combination with Clematis!

The unknown Tree Peony I bought for $8 at Park's sale:

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The size of the flower is about 10". The date is off, sorry :)

Figured you would like them Jeanne. I managed to kill a tree peony also and it was quite expensive also.

Your flower is great looking Alina. I think I finally got most of the ants off the flowers. LOL

Miguel, I love all the clematis books sitting on the table in the background. Fabulous accent to the pic. ;0P

Miguel,
Gorgeous bouquet! To get peonies in the house with no ants (or much less likely), cut the blooms when the color is showing but they're not open yet (the buds will feel soft like big marshmallows). This way you can bring them inside before the ants get into the blooms.

I love peonies as much as Clematis. Aside from my herbaceous peonies, I currently have 6 Tree peonies and find them not difficult at all. I give them some compost in the spring and that's it. I follow the rule of planting them where they'll get afternoon shade from the hottest part of the day and they do very well here in our z5-6 garden. Last year we had a very late freeze when the tree peonies were in bud. I fretted about what to do but I didn't have anything big enough to cover them with and I HATE the cold so I just let nature take its course. They bloomed just fine. So, don't be scared. Khlem's is a great source. www.songsparrow.com

That is absolutely beautiful. My peony, after 5 years, finally has one bud this year :-).

Carol