There is no "one size fits all" in gardening. Every location and environment is unique. In my instance, we can have 80 degrees in January and 10 degrees in March. Ice storms are common. The covering of the eyes with soil or mulch slows the growing process by keeping the ground cold or frozen until the weather stabilizes. I have removed mulch at the first sign of warm weather only to have the flower buds freeze nearly 2 months later. The trick is to guess correctly when the time is right to expose the eyes to sunlight and warmth. On the other hand, my wife says I am foolish since peonies survive around graveyards and abandoned buildings with no tlc.
