When the first hard frost turns a perennial garden brown, grabbing the pruners can feel like the obvious next step. But those dead-looking coneflowers, asters, and ornamental grasses may still be doing important work long after their flowers disappear. Standing stems can shelter overwintering insects, seed heads can feed birds, and dried plants can give an otherwise empty winter garden structure and texture. In some cases, leaving growth intact may even provide additional protection around the plant itself. Before cutting everything to the ground, here’s why leaving perennials standing in winter can sometimes be the better gardening decision.
