Q: As I add more daylilies to my garden, I find that I am spending more time removing spent blooms! By doing this am I actually helping the plant or just increasing the aesthetics?

A: Daylilies have varying abilities to “self-clean”. On some varieties, the flowers drop cleanly away but on others the petals cling to the stem and look messy. Your cleaning work helps the bed be more attractive but it is not required.