Hello! This is my second spring in my new house. We have several beautiful mature peony bushes lining our driveway and I've noticed several have brown stems and dried leaves. I think I'm dealing with botrytis. At the end of last spring most of the plants had dark spots on all the leaves also. Thoughts? Tips? Can I get rid of it?

Yes, it looks like botrytis. You cannot get rid of it but you can control it. People use 10% solution of bleach or a fungicide to treat first signs of botrytis. By the end of the season you will probably have it anyway but at least your peonies will grow and bloom during spring/summer. Very important is to have good air circulation. If the peonies are planted too close to each other the air circulation is not sufficient. 3-4 feet between bushes is enough but less could cause leaf damage. Good luck! Your peonies look beautiful!

That is what I have seen as well. Because of the terrible spring we have experienced , there are fungal problems on peonies. Cut back and discard (do not compost these) stems that show damage.

The warm up, then freezes then rain and snow have all caused these conditions this year. Good garden fall clean up will be helpful too.

Hope that helps.