Peggy Cornett at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello tells us that
The ancient European Peonies were a highlight in the gardens at Monticello during Historic Garden Week in Virginia. The Common or European Peony, Paeonia officinalis, was found in the gardens of France and Britain since the 16C, when they were grown in the medicinal gardens of monasteries. Philadelphia nurseyman John Bartram sent several peonies to the Lambolls of Charleston, SC in 176,1 and Jefferson listed the "piony" among his "hardy perennials flowers" as early as 1771.
17C Europeans landing on America's East Coast coped with new weather patterns & geography by creating spaces to meet basic needs for shelter, food, & safety. As time passed, most still grew food plants; but with expanding families & importation of indentured servants & slaves, farm fields often became export enterprises. In the 18-19C, many gentry transformed their formal gardens into art to project a desired image to others - their wealth, power, refinement, & beliefs.