anyagoro said: Hi janyss471! 
to the Forum! There is no way peonies will survive in pots above the ground outdoors during winter in zone 3. Sorry, but it is reality. I am not sure the light is the reason for no blooms in your garden. You told that the woman you met had a lot of peony blooms in very shady area. I wold guess the reason could be soil and root competition. I prepare a square of 3' by 3' and 1.5-2' deep for every peony and cover the ground with weed barrier. Aspen roots still get into the soil where peony roots are but at least during the first couple of years peonies have time to get established and I try to get rid of aspen roots/shoots when I notice them. Peonies are happy to grow in zone 3 but in the ground. Unless you try pots and bury them in the ground for winter.
Thank you. So, you're saying, even in a shed or garage, they wouldn't survive in pots? As for other reasons why they may not be blooming, I'm extremely puzzled if it's not the light. It seems that for 99 -percent of the peonies I've ever seen, they've been in the most neglected backyards, poor soil, never watered and they're thriving like crazy. There is no competition with roots and the soil is the same as the neighbours on either side - what we call "gumbo" and their peonies are doing fine however theirs are in full sun. When I originally planted them I used the soil that came with them as well as a general potting soil in the hole.
