--
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect." Chief Seattle
"Ralph D." wrote in message
...
Hello again,

I am in SW PAzone 5b or 6ish and hate to see the larger beds fading as
they
are now. Will shearing Monarda near the top force a fall bloom? Will it
hurt
them if I try?
cut them back. Once hard freeze gets the tops, the brown stems will stand
there all winter. The birds pick thru the seed heads though. You'll notice
that the monarda's start out as "ground hugging" perennials. Little cute
triangle leaves at first, turn your back and they shoot upwards to become
the statuesque plants they are beloved by the hummers and other pollinators
and us humans. If your soil is too rich for monarda, it'll grow upwards,
lie down and try to struggle back up. They like a lean mix of soil.

How about Coneflowers?
Let the birds clean them up first to scatter the viable seeds, then whack
'em back to the crown where the leaves are.

Rudbeckia?

same thing. Let the birds clean up the seed heads first, then you can cut
them back to the mounds of leaves.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee zone 7, Sunset zone 36