My Japanese maple is already putting out new leaves. The dead ones are being replaced and will soon fall off on their own, so I wouldn't worry about it. Best to just leave everything alone let them make a come back on their own.

Nature is amazingly resiliant. After just a couple days of mild temps and some sunshine, a few of the plants that looked totally dead are showing new growth. The astilbes looked like goners but are recovering. I haven't noticed the JM putting out new leaves but I trust it will. Even the bleeding hearts, which were the first to react to the freeze, are sending out new shoots. That one amazes me the most! I'm thinking the perennials might be less lush than usual, but most will recover.

Don't prune anything....they are straining enough right now without the additional "damage" that is caused by pruning.

That is the best description - the sedum, hosta, rubeckia, jonquils, tulips all look like they came out of the washing machine & dropped on the ground. Roses & other ornamental bushes are wilted or crispy criters. 4 or 5 days of freezing nites played havoc w/our gardens here in Cass County. Does anyone have an idea to prune or not to prune?
Thanks fellow gardeners - Help is needed!

I am in Cass County, too (are you coming to the plant swap?).

Only remove obviously dead leaves (if you want to)...but don't prune any branches.

The majority of my plants are rebounding nicely...hostas are beginning to push up unaffected leaves. My Peonies are in bud...the tulips were unaffected and still flowering nicely.

It is interesting how some areas in the yard (microclimates, I assume) were hit so hard and others seem to have pulled through without a hitch.

I would give things a few weeks more before you get near them with the clipping shears! I have a few things that are still looking peaked (Lady in Red hydrangea, beautyberry, lilium regale, and the only rose that I tried to cover with a sheet!), but even these plants are sprouting tiny new growth all over the stems.My hostas, spirea, Austin roses, etc are all rebounding nicely. And the peonies, tulpips, daffodils, centaurea, and others act as though the weather really wasn't in the teens for a week!

I just moved into a house I am renting, and the freeze hit my plants hard. I recognize some of them. I have several rose bushes in front, a wisteria, and hostas in the back. Possibly a bleeding heart and lots of other nice stuff. My problem is the frost killed off my wisteria buds but I did see what looks to be new growth, and my roses have some damage to the leaves. What should I do to bring them back around.And why did mother nature not kill my dandilions????

Aslocum...just leave them alone...once the new growth begins again, you can see what you might need to prune away.