What to Cut Back Now

Some plants benefit from a gentle trim in autumn to keep them healthy and manageable:

• Cut back herbaceous perennials that have collapsed or become mushy—such as delphiniums, alchemilla, hardy geraniums, peonies, and others with soft tissue. These will turn soggy and unsightly after frost, and cutting them back helps prevent disease from overwintering.
• Remove spent annuals entirely to clear space and reduce pest harborage.
• Prune tall shrubs like Lavatera, Buddleja davidii, and climbing roses to reduce wind-rock and stem damage over winter.

What to Leave Until Spring

Resist the temptation to clear everything away. Many plants benefit from being left intact:

• Leave plants with rigid stems, such as hydrangeas, until late March or when new growth appears. Their old growth helps shield the plant from frost damage.
• Leave slightly tender perennials such as salvias, penstemons, and kniphofias uncut as old stems provide valuable insulation to their crowns.
• Plants like rudbeckia, teasels, and sunflowers form bold seedheads that add visual interest and provide valuable food for birds.
• The sepia-toned foliage of ornamental grasses, such as Miscanthus and Pennisetum, looks stunning when touched by frost. These grasses also offer shelter for overwintering insects and make winter borders look far more appealing than bare soil.

The Benefits of Delaying the Tidy-Up

Holding off on a full garden cut-back isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s a gift to your garden’s ecosystem. Leaving stems and seedheads through winter:

• Provides shelter for beneficial insects like ladybirds, lacewings, and solitary bees
• Feeds birds with seeds and hidden larvae
• Adds structural interest to your winter landscape

Delaying cutting back also makes spring work easier, as new growth clearly shows where to prune.