2016 Extended Dry Period Makes Some Peonies Crispy

We've been lucky with the rain so far this year - until now! This has been the first completely dry 10 day period we've had all summer! Some years my grass is crispy in June! (and more often by July). However, this year my grass hasn't gotten crispy until now, well into August, (and only some of it is crispy) which is great. However, I think all of the plants in my yard have gotten used to the adequate supply of water in the form of rainfall. I rarely water my peonies unless they are already drooping in early summer - in which case I'll sometimes give them a drink so they can make it to the next rainfall.

Peony 'Flame' and Peony 'Prairie Moon'
I think I noticed foliage on this Peony 'Prairie Moon' had become crispy a bit too late. As you can see the foliage on it already looks wilted and crispy. So I did try watering it a couple days in a row, hoping it would perk up a little, but so far it hasn't. As you can see the foliage on the peony next to it, Peony 'Flame' looks just fine. So right now only a very few peonies have been affected. We just got our first rain after this extended dry period last night. However, we only got enough to wet the back deck, but not enough to measure in the rain gauge. So I am hoping for some more rain tonight. It looks like there's about a 50% chance of rain in the forecast today, and then another extended stretch of dry weather. It seems like I'll be watering again this coming week!

Crispy Peony 'Prairie Moon'