Question
I live north of Baltimore, MD.  I have an herb garden in the back of my house with several perennial plants that have been in place for about two years.  This summer the plants were just lovely but fall is around the corner so I want to prepare them for the colder months that lie ahead. Is it necessary to prune lavender & rosemary each year and if so when and how much should I prune?  Also I have two large sedum plants that did really great this summer - large pink blooms all over!  How can I prevent the long heavy stems from falling over as the blooming weeks pass?  Thanks for any assistance you may offer.

Answer
Billie:
Rosemary & lavender should be pruned every 3 weeks. Do this now until the end of Sept. Prune 1/3 from the tip down of all branches with new growth. Do this thru the spring, summer & fall. Rosemary hate the north winds, so protect with some kind of wind barrier. Give all lavender a handful of pulverized lime mixed in soil around plant, once a year. I have no knowledge on the sedums.