Thank you so much for the input, everyone! Pirl, I'm in 6b, so not so different from you. This is all very reassuring. I'll move them to/figure out a slightly shadier option. I've been told by numerous people (the nursery included) not to expect the peony to survive through the Summer because they are "impossible" to take care of, at least in pots. Figured it would be a fun challenge. I've started getting the "I told you so" looks from the girlfriend as she's been eyeing them.
These started as young-ish, slightly established plants in pots I got from a nursery. Maybe about a foot-ish to foot and a half tall, plant #1 with a few extra stems, definitely not from bulb. They've grown fairly well over the past few months. I have them in a pretty large container, expecting the larger container size to be beneficial moving forward.
One last question for everyone. In terms of keeping them in pots (I live in a city, these are on a patio - my "yard" is non-existent), I've read the peonies actually like a cold-ish winter. Coming from 6b/MA, we typically are anywhere from 0-40F (the coldest average outside of a cold wave is probably in the 15s-20s). Would you recommend keeping them outside (I would protect the pots/roots with some form of insulation) or would they be okay if I took them inside?
