Question
Hi Tom
I am in S.Island New Zealand
This is the first time Ive used this service.
My question is : What should I do with my perennials now it is early winter/late Autumn?
Should I cut them back hard to make them bushy next year or should I leave them alone so the dying foliage protects them against hard frosts?
If I do, when should I prune them?
Also, can I use the prunings as cuttings?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards
David

Answer
Hi David,
It's wonderful to hear from New Zealand.  Before 9/11, I used to trade flower seeds with several people in New Zealand.  One of my goals in life is to some day visit Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.  Thanx for your queston.  Most perennials will benefit from cutting them back to within a few inches above the ground if they are smaller plants or if like shrubs or large plants leave about 6 inches of plant above the ground line.  A little leaf mold or some other kind of mulch is nice for helping to keep the bed protected from hard frosts but most perennials seem to make it okay through the winter.  If you have a lot of snow, that makes a wonder insulator.  Yes, you can use prunings for cuttngs but may I suggest that you go to you local library and check out some books on plant propagation or do a Google.com search and type in plant cutting propagation.  I will be glad to advise you if you will tell me what type os plants you wish to propagate via cuttings.  I hopw this helps.
thx,
Tom