After the below freezing temperatures we had this past month your perennials are ready to be put to bed for winter. Doing so helps them prepare for their winter sleep and their arrival next spring. You may see loss of leaves and flowers, or leaves turn brownish/black and green ornamental grass change to a straw color. If so, they are done for the year and it’s time to clean them up.

• Cut back woody base perennials to 6-10” high.  This helps them stay compact and fuller next year and they look better after trimming.

• Softer stemmed perennials can be cut down to the ground since they send out new branches each spring.

• Liriope quickly turns brown after a freeze and can be either cut, mowed or weed-eated to remove it.  If you don’t do it now, make sure to do so before new growth begins appearing in mid-February.

• Ornamental grasses are left untrimmed until mid-February.  Many leave the straw-colored grass untrimmed in their landscape until that time.  (You can learn more about cutting ornamental grass here.)

• Care for Bananas and Elephant Ears are covered here.

To give perennials added protection against cold weather add a layer of mulch over the plant to help insulate the top of the root ball. As we begin to warm up in the spring, carefully remove the mulch so the heat and light from the sun can reach the newly emerging plant.