Peonies - novice gardener!

[Spacemannn]

My peonies bloomed a couple of weeks ago, looked great for about a week, now they're dying and there are petals everywhere and they're encroaching onto the lawn and just look a bit of a mess.

Is there any harm in just cutting them right back? Do I need to wait until autumn or can I do now? Just want to tidy them up really, but worried about killing them!

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I would advise not to cut them right back but cut the flower heads off. Leave the foliage on so that the plants can built up their strength for next year.

Is it OK to cut back far enough that they're not spread across the lawn like the are now?

Just cut the seed heads off and then prop them up with a plant support so they aren't all over the lawn

Cut the stems off which hold the flowers. The leaves are just a few on edge of lawn cut these back if you wish but as few as possible.

Just hijacking to say I had (only two) beautiful flowers for one day on my peony before we had a torrential storm which destroyed them, so frustrating! Should I cut the stems off which had the flowers on, even though they only bloomed for a day or should I leave them in situ for a bit longer?

I like to leave them on, because the seed pods are quite attractive as they swell and ripen. I don’t let them seed though, I tend to cut them with as long a stem as possible and put them in a vase with other late summer flowers and seed heads.

My peony is stunning but the flowering period is so short.
Disappointingly Ive come to the conclusion they’re overrated so I will tidy mine up, cut flower heads and weak shoots then prop up the remaining growth.

Leave the leaves, the plant needs them to build-up energy for next year. You can support them with plant support hoops so they look less straggly. But do not cut them back.