Peonies are perennials which will live for decades, even generations. Some peonies have been known to thrive for 100 years or more. The blooms are outrageously beautiful, producing lush, glossy, green foliage all summer long and turning purplish or gold in the fall. Peonies are as stately and dignified as any shrub. They are somewhat more expensive to propagate, but well worth their cost, and you should think of them as an investment in your garden. Sarah Bernhardt is the queen of the peonies - yielding large, pure-pink, fragrant blooms. These characteristics make this variety a great peony choice and a Van Zyverden best seller since the beginning. In most of the country, the rules for success are simply full sun and well-drained humus-rich soil. Peonies even relish cold winters, because they need chilling for bud formation. In zones 8 and higher, they are harder to grow. They are not fussy, but choose your location wisely so that they can be left alone once planted. Plant away from trees or shrubs, as peonies do not like to compete for food. The plants require little maintenance as long as they are planted properly and establish themselves; they don't respond well to transplanting. Unlike most perennials, they thrive on benign neglect as they do not need to be dug and divided.