In message , Steve
writes
On Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:08:45 +0100, Steve wrote:

I'm keen on letting things be and nature having it's way, and getting
a repeat performance every year.

Should I chop the plants down to the ground or should I just trim them
somewhat?

thnks

Oh and my foxgloves please

The usual lupins are herbaceous perennials, and die back to the ground
every year. You can cut off the stems when they die off. If you don't
want to collect seed you also cut off the flowering stems after
flowering, which will either produce additional spikes, or strengthen
the root system. Annual lupins are also occasionally grown

The usual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are annuals, and die off after
setting seed. You can leave them around to collect seed, or to let the
birds eat the seeds, but eventually you'd want to pull up the sunflower
and compost it (possibly shred it first). Other sunflowers (e.g.
Helianthus decapetalus) are herbaceous perennials and would be treated
similarly to lupins

Runner beans are tender perennials treated as annuals. They will die off
when the frosts arrive. At that point you'd want to uproot and compost
them. (If you're growing them in a frost free greenhouse the question
would be whether they would cope with the low light levels of a British
winter.)

The usual foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) are short-lived perennials
usually treated as biennials. (The spikes in subsequent years tend to be
smaller.) If you are treating them as perennials cut out the flowering
shoot at some point. Foxgloves tend to self seed.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley