Mi Mike,

I'm with Sascha on this one, I've moved peonies (well, that's how I spell it anyway) and some have been fine, although in fairness I have to say that some have sulked.

However, I've had clients with peonies that had never been known to flower: I'd moved them, planted them (as Sasha said) more shallowly, and they flowered the very next season.

My personal advice, dig 'em up, shake off as much soil as you can and if they are big clumps, split them up: often you will find that shaking off the soil will separate them for you.

Before digging them up, prepare your planting hole: dig over the soil, remove weeds, roots, stones etc, add muck etc and mix well. Make the holes wide, but shallow: and form the soil left in the hole into a shallow pyramid, such that you can "sit" the peony crown in the centre, with the fat tubers sloping gently downward, but not going too deep. Then gently fill the loose soil around the tubers, personally I go for having about half an inch of soil over them for most of their length. Don't forget to chop off all the foliage before you replant them, otherwise the wind will rock them - just like Iris plants - and they won't re-establish themselves.

If you're not sure about the "correct" depth, find a friend whose peonies flower well, and gently scrape away the soil to see how far down their tubers are. That might give you a feel for it.

It's getting a bit late now, but I'd still do it now, rather than leaving it until spring. I think they'll be less disturbed if you do it now, rather than waiting: but that's only my opinion, and others may suggest different.

Have fun!