Anyone know if a tree peonies roots are damaging to house foundations? I need a tall plant to grow up part of the house wall but  the border is very narrow and close to the house. I want something really colourful, I know the tree peony only flowers for quite a short time so not completely happy with it and I don't have much luck with clematis, too dry in summer I think.

sorry but ive not grown peony either did try but it never took.. honey suckle is very easy  growing and  layers it self if a runner is pegged down , i have the white one very scented

Most of our plants and shrubs, are in pots or half barrels.
Honeysuckle, Passion flowers and Clematis, would be my choice for wall climbing. With clematis, there is such a wide variety from early to late. On the other hand, how nice it would be to have some of that " Olde fashioned English cottage garden perfume" --- This thursday, we are having a team of four gardeners, to change/renovate our garden. We must have some good Colour back. Today, we have  taken down, all seed and nut holders, to Discourage the pigeons. Do we both feel Guilty ?? - Too True, but it has too be, at least for a 'little' while. Already had squirrels an birds looking around - at our patio doors too A guilty feeling sure makes us feel, er?  Evil.

My brother-in-law bought some plants off the internet and gave me the surplus a couple of days ago. In amongst them was a tree peony. At the moment, it looks like a stick

I've planted it a pot with compost I've made myself.
Hopefully it will do well.

If you're growing herbeceous peonies, it is probably a lot easier to buy the roots, or get them from neighbors because they propagate very easily and are not expensive like tree peonies.
Herbeceous peonies do work the same way as tree peonies so even if they are kind of dried up, if you plant them in a garden bed now, some of them might sprout next spring, but bet on more of them coming up in the spring of 2013. You can rush the process by germinating them in a zip lock bag with vermiculate, once they root well, stick them in a fridge to develop buds, and then carefully taking them out and planting them in the spring to get seedlings to sprout.
I like planting them straight out into the garden beds because that way, I don't risk losing some due to handling since they do have pretty fragile roots.