Question
We have some lovely red and purple verbena throughout our landscape that was planted by the previous owner (we reside just north of charlotte, nc) which comes back every year.  My question is:  How far can we cut it back while it's dormant since I'd really like to clean out the beds.  Would a hard prune be advisable?  

Thank you in advance for your response!

Answer
Mary,
My guess is that this verbena is looking very sad right now - it might even have died back some if you've had a hard frost. Yes, you can cut it back. If you haven't had a hard frost and the plants are still living, cut them down to 8 to 10 inches high. They will leaf out again in the spring.

If you've had a hard frost I would first determine if the plant is dead nearly to the ground or if life remains in the stems.  Cut it back first so that you leave about eight to ten inches of the plant, measuring from the ground up. If the stems are green, leave it at that level. If they stems are gray or brown, and if they break off easily, that means they've died all the way back. If that's the case, cut the plants down more, leaving about 3 inches of stem.   Cutting the plants back will renew them and make it easier to pull any weeds that might be growing among the verbena.
all the best,
C.L.
www.wholelifegardening.com