Ginger, I know how you feel. I love peonies and cannot imagine my life without them.
You might want to research High Noon tree peony.
It is known that HN can bloom twice in a season. When I heard about this, I couldn't understand how. My HN has never bloomed twice for me, but after several years of observing the plant, I understand the cycle. Sometimes (our 5a) mild fall weather, which is definitely above 0 and perhaps 5 to 10C, can trigger new growth. Now I understand that HN can bloom twice because the cooling effect during even mild fall weather is enough to break dormancy. Unfortunately, our winters come fast, so I am sure HN will never bloom twice for me, and breaking dormancy before winter is very dangerous in this temperature zone. However, HN obviously does not need below zero temperatures to break dormancy.
Good luck with your peonies.
