I too live in Wisconsin, but the southwestern part of the state. For the most part everything in my gardens came back very well. Due to the late/cold spring and health issues with my husband, I did not get the roses pruned back. Oh my, they will be monsters by fall. Almost no winter die back, and I did not even get the leaves around them last fall like I usually do. It was too warm and then snow came.

The one thing that does appear to be struggling is my bush clover. Have had it planted since 2005 and it always does so well. It is coming up, but not nearly so thick. Not sure how it will look this year.

mandolls -

Might last spring and summer's unusual weather (either too much or too little water) have contributed to how ready (or not) plants were for the winter and therefore their diffuculty surviving the winter?

nhbabs - you may be right. Most of what didnt come back was all in the same area and it was a group of beds that I pretty much ignored last year as I expanded other areas. It could very well be that my lack of watering in the late summer fall made the difference.

But mint? come on I thought nothing could kill it, and I am talking a 3 ft x 5 ft bed of mint, with not a single survivor.