Check www.gumps.com. This San Francisco retailer has a selection of faux floral arrangements. They aren't cheap but look closer to the real thing than most.

This may feel like an 'off' suggestion, but if you want nice fake peonies, perhaps you might consider nice photographs of real peonies for the same effect in your home? Next time you buy some, put your camera into the macro setting and play around taking a bunch of photos close up. Sprinkle them with water, put them in a vibrant vase, take them outside for interesting lighting, etc. A place like Kodak Gallery online (or any number of other places) will print enlargements for quite cheap.

mitchel gold and bob williams has a nice selection of 'faux flowers' as they call it:

http://www.mgbwhome.com/peony.asp

I got a few stems of beautiful light pink peonies at Rose's at few years ago. And I've seen some nice ones at Walmart. I don't know what your budget is, so I suggested on the low side...

or you can use an alternative real flower that has the same affect...carnations have that same look when in bulk....trust me, i know there is no real replacement to the peony!

http://thesalerack.blogspot.com/2009/06/save-on-your-flower-budget.html

I have some silk peonies that I got at Michaels' Crafts. I like them (I do arrangements) but the might not be as good as you can get. I have seen pre-made bouquets in that resin that seems like water at Home Goods. Theirs are usually pretty convincing. (Just go for natural colors and simple arrangements like you would have with the real thing. And keep them clean! You can wash faux flowers in the shower now and then and let them air dry, to get the dust off...)

Please find a real flower alternative or maybe a dry flower?

I would also look at NDI (Natural Decorations, Inc.). They have some fantastic 'everlasting' flowers and arrangements.

Try afloral.com they have silk flowers at amazing prices. I have several in my home and they look great!!

try G & G in Saddle Brook, NJ - they have an online store: http://www.gandgwebstore.com/product.php?pid=sfpny_324

they have a pretty good selection w/ some fairly realistic looking flowers.

Real peonies can be cut before blooming, chilled, and then pulled out & put into a vase to eventually open. Do an online search for how to do this & then you can have peonies year-round (if you have refrigerator space)!

Sure, you'd like peonies year round - just like many of us would prefer summer year-round. But like "fresh" tomatoes, fakes would be so obviously out of place in the dead of winter...

A variety of seasonal floral/greenery displays is always best.

I usually am NOT a fan of the fakes, but I did cave years ago for some fake off-white w/ pink blush peonies at Pottery Barn. My only other place I have found fakes I actually liked were Michael's for some poppies - Michaels has a huge range from super-fakey cheap-looking, to reasonable...

I also adore peonies! Only getting them during the spring and summer makes them all the more special when I am able to have them at home. Please- no fakes. It's a cardinal rule! The above idea of a picture of peonies is wonderful, and will give you the same fresh breath when you look the photo.

Hands down, the best artificial flowers are from Diane James Designs. They are available at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Gracious Homes (and their website) in NYC. She offers peonies arrangements in 3 colors, blush, pink and white in her classics line.

http://www.gracioushome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/GHFeatBrandsView3?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051

I haven't ordered from them, but this site has an impressive selection of silk and dried peonies.

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/silkpeonies.html

As an aside, I think the commenters this site are generally super-innovative and resourceful. But the few who feel compelled to pounce on questions like these with unsolicited judgment and faux-virtue really drive me crazy.

I am also anti fake flowers. Don't do it. I agree with the writer who suggested the limited availability of real peonies is part of their charm.

God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.
-James M. Barrie

I think the photo idea by homebody is a nicer way to keep cherished seasonal flowers alive in our memory.

If you don't want to do the photography yourself, there are sixteen pages of peonies on etsy - here's just one example:

http://bit.ly/3lawYr

Try www.vermontdriedpeonies.com

A great fresh alternative to fresh peonies are garden roses. Garden roses, similar to peonies, have a high petal count. Some of them also have amazing fragrance as well as stunning petal formations. The wholesale floral provider I work for gets the garden roses (both domestic and imported) year-round making fresh-cut garden roses an easy-to-source peony alternative. Yves Piaget, piano, and maria theresa are all excellent varieties (but if you are going for fragrance, Vitality is my absolute farvorite!). Here is a video from a farm that grows them: http://bit.ly/AfUHZ1