If you love seeing your garden full of life and color right until the leaves start to turn, then a little trim here and there on your perennials can make all the difference. Even if summer’s almost over, you can give these plants a little trim so they’ll bloom once more before fall. Let’s look at 18 perennials you can trim to make sure your garden stays dazzling a bit longer.
Pruning Lavender for a Second Bloom
When your lavender’s first bloom starts to fade, giving it a quick cut can help another round of those lovely purple flowers to bloom. Cut back the old blooms to just above the new growth so that your plant knows it has a bit more to give. If you do this, you’ll freshen up the plant and also help it focus on making more blooms instead of going dormant.
Encouraging Catmint to Rejuvenate
Catmint can sprawl and get a bit wild if you leave it alone for too long, which is why you should trim back the foliage by about a third in August. Giving it a little cut will keep your catmint from taking over your garden and allow it to thicken up with fresh growth. Plus, it might just push out another set of flowers for the bees and butterflies.
Cutting Back Salvia for More Flowers
Salvia loves a good comeback. After its first round of blooms starts to look tired, cut back the flower spikes to kickstart your salvia into bloom mode again and give your garden a little more color late into the season. Essentially, it’s a second wind for both your garden’s look and the plant’s life.
Deadheading Shasta Daisies
Shasta daisies will keep on blooming if you help them out by cutting off the old blooms, as deadheading tells the plant to keep the flowers coming rather than going to seed. Regularly deadheading your daisies will keep them looking good and stop them from using energy to produce seeds. Instead, they’ll direct all that power back into blooming.
Refreshing Bee Balm
After its first show, giving your bee balm a trim can work wonders, so cut back about one-third of the plant. It’ll help the plant stay tidy and also means your flowers are less likely to get diseases like powdery mildew. Pruning also improves air circulation around the plants, which is important to keep your bee balm healthy and ready to start blooming again.
Trimming Back Geraniums
Geraniums can get a bit out of shape by mid-summer, which is why you should trim them back a little. After all, it makes them look neat and also encourages them to put out new flowers and leaves. Cutting back these plants will give you a bushier and healthier plant that could even bloom once more before the season ends.
Pruning Peonies After Bloom
Peonies won’t bloom again until next season, but cutting back their foliage after the blooms have faded keeps them healthy and focused on building up for next year. When you remove old foliage, you’ll clean up the plant and minimize the risk of overwintering diseases. This way, your peonies are all set to start strong when spring comes around.
Shearing Russian Sage
A light shearing in August can help Russian sage stay in check and not get too wild, which could coax out a second, smaller wave of blooms. This can be pretty useful for adding some color in those areas of your yard where other plants are starting to fade. It’ll also mean your Russian sage will look well-managed, and that’s always a good thing.
Refreshing Coreopsis
If you cut the old coreopsis flowers back to just above a leaf, you’ll likely see a new burst of blooms. These sunny perennials can light up your garden with a second wave of flowers just when other plants are starting to slow down. All you need to do is give this easy-to-grow plant a quick trim, and you’re guaranteed some extra color.
Invigorating Phlox
When you cut back phlox stems by one-third after the first bloom, you’ll improve air circulation and potentially encourage a second bloom. This is a good way to fight off those fungal diseases that love to attack phlox, and it’ll keep your garden looking healthy. Even if they don’t bloom again, pruning helps phlox grow thicker and bushier, which can really help you later.
Deadheading Rudbeckia
Like many other perennials, rudbeckia keeps blooming if you remove the old flowers, meaning you can enjoy these golden, sun-loving beauties for even longer. Making sure that these plants don’t go to seed will give them more energy for blooming. Who doesn’t want more of those bright and cheerful flowers?
Trimming Aster Plants
Mid-summer is the right time to give your asters a little trim. This prevents them from getting leggy and encourages a bushier, more flower-filled plant as fall approaches. Proper pruning at this time helps maintain the plant’s energy for blooming rather than stretching out, making the most of the growing season.
Pruning Clematis for Health
Some varieties of clematis can bloom again if you prune them lightly after the first flowering. Of course, you’ll need to know exactly which variety you have, as this will tell you just how much you can trim without risking next year’s blooms. Targeted pruning promotes healthier growth and can help your flowers to bloom even more later on.
Managing Sedum for Fall Blooms
In early August, you should pinch back the sedum to help it form a tighter shape, as this will give you a stronger late-summer bloom. Trimming your flowers will stop them from becoming too leggy and also help them support their blooms without flopping over. It’s a small step, but it’ll seriously pay off.
Tidying Up Irises
After their blooming season, cut back your iris flowers and trim their foliage so you can prevent them from getting sick. It’ll also focus the plant’s energy on root and rhizome growth, which is important for next year’s blooms. Over the winter, rot and other issues can creep up on plant debris left in the garden and cause some serious problems.
Pruning Hydrangeas for Next Year
With hydrangeas, especially those that bloom on old wood, it’s important for you only to deadhead the spent flowers and not cut back the branches. Doing so will preserve the buds that will bloom next year and mean you’ll get a full display. Hydrangeas are easy to grow, so make sure you make the effort to look after them.
Revitalizing Delphiniums
Delphiniums are known for their incredible spires of blooms, and a mid-summer cutback can help them make a grand re-entrance in the fall. After the first flush of flowers fades, cut back the old flower stalks to the base of the plant. It’ll encourage new growth and a second bloom that’s just as spectacular as the first.
Improving the Beauty of Gaillardia
Gaillardia, or blanket flower, is a tough perennial that can handle a good cutback once the initial blooms begin to wilt. You just need to cut the plants back by about half to make your garden look neater and encourage a new flush of these fiery, daisy-like flowers. They’re perfect for adding a little color to your garden late into the season, and they’re also easy to care for.
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