Q: The iris’s were lovely this year, but now that the bloom is over, the foliage is floppy and lying on the sedum. Does it need to absorb sunshine like bulb foliage, or can it be trimmed back? I’ve read a recommended mulch is shredded pine bark. Is a Nature’s Helper type product a shredded pine bark, or is there another product?

A: The leaves need to be left on as long as possible but you can trim them a bit to relieve the floppiness. I use Nature’s Helper (or pine mini-nuggets) frequently for mulch.