To cut down or not to cut down that is the question many gardeners ask once fall has arrived. In other words they’re asking, “Do I cut back my perennials and seasonal plantings in fall or spring?” The answer is an emphatic yes depending on what you want from your landscape during the winter months.
If your concept of the perfect winter scene is an uninterrupted pristine blanket of snow, plan on cutting back and clearing out the perennial border each fall. However, if you are hoping that your landscape will continue to provide interest right up to spring, schedule that bed work for early April.
By keeping the foliage of ornamental grasses and perennials such as autumn joy sedum in place you allow your landscape to continue to provide color and movement right up until the arrival of deep snow. Besides the show, keeping the foliage in place for the winter helps to accumulate snow over the plants. This blanket of snow is nature’s protective mulch against the extreme cold of a Wisconsin winter. Another benefit is that dried and dead foliage helps mark the plant’s location come the warm weather of spring - A simple way to avoid damaging the plants while working in the yard in early spring.
