If you cut or pinch off the side (lateral) buds, you will get a larger central flower. Likewise, if you pinch off the leader, you will get smaller, but more, lateral flowers. I prune my peonies a lot after bloom. This always results in fresh looking bushes till fall.

I was just wondering the same thing. I drove by a house today that had peonies lining the entire length of their not so short driveway. However, unlike everyone else around here who has been rained on every day for weeks, theirs were upright and beautiful. They were also quite short. I wondered if they were pruned or miniatures. Is there such a thing as miniatures? If you prune them, do they flower vigorously each year? This site is amazing. I have a wandering thought and someone has already addressed it. I love you people!

Herbaceous peonies come in sizes of less than 12 inches to over 4 foot tall. Something for every taste.

You can not pinch or prune a herbaceous peony to reach a certain height before it blooms. You can pinch the buds out to increase size of blooms like anitamo but it will not change height.

Stop and ask what variety the peonies are. You could even have a sheet kept in your car providing your telephone # or email or regular address typed out to leave on a door requesting the information. Please do not leave in mailboxes because the post office frowns on that. You could also take note of the address and send a friendly greeting card requesting the same information. Sometimes you will get an answer but if you don't ask you never will.