I'm redoing a big bed in my front yard and thinking of putting in peonies as part of the "bones" with other perennials tucked in around them. When they go dormant do you just have big bare spots in your beds? We don't get snow here to speak of so it would show.

Hmm. Good question. Herbaceous turn brown and die back to the ground in winter - even if no snow. So yes I would think you would have bare spots unless hidden by something else

I think Mary's right. You can plant summer blooming bulbs fairly close but peonies react very poorly to having their roots crowded so companion plantings are fairly limited that would cover the browning foliage.

Thank you!