I don't chop back too many things, mostly due to time constraints. I think the one thing I consistently try to chop is my shasta daisies.

I do deadhead a few things though, although again not always consistently. My cosmos I deadhead here and there almost every time I'm in the garden. Zinnias, I cut for bouquets so that's like deadheading. Same with dahlias.

I didn't know phlox would rebloom if cut back - I'll have to try that! Another thing I just heard about two weeks ago (haven't confirmed whether it's true or not yet) is that you can cut back - or deadhead, really, I guess - hibiscus moscheutos and they will rebloom! That would be great if true.

I do cut back some things for height BEFORE bloom though - or at least I try to lol. Mainly asters and monkshood, to keep them from flopping. I have had some asters in my garden for 25 years. I bought them as Purple Dome, but they get to over five feet tall so I think they were mislabeled lol.

:)

Dee

I usually cut back perenniala that grow tall to prevent them from flopping or shading other plants. U have noticed they bloomed later because of it. I spwnd more time deadheading in order to get rebloom. I would deadhead Zinnia, Asclepias tuberosa and Verbena bonariensis. The verbena would probably only grow 1 or 2 new stems. You can experiment with cutting back some Echinacea. You could also grow some of the other Echinacea species native to Missouri. They may bloom at different times compared to Echinacea purpurea. I've just added Echinacea pallida and Echinacea paradoxa to my garden.

Pale Purple Coneflower, Echinacea pallida

Echinacea paradoxa

Echinacea tenneseensis

Echinacea sumulata

Verbena bonariensis

Markay - Someday I'll have enough asclepias tuberosa to experiment. I'd like to cut some back and leave some alone to see if the new growth attracts more monarch caterpillars. I've read that as well but there hasn't been much left to cut back because of all the tussock moth caterpillars that swarm it. I wonder if I still should cut it back if it's leafless.

My phlox is still blooming but not as well even though I haven't been removing spent blooms. It was leaning toward the sun, then after a couple rainstorms, it leaned a little more, now after this heat and drought, it's laying flat on the ground with a few flowers still going. I really need to stake it next year.

The goldfinches have been enjoying echinacea, zinnia and tithonia seeds. I think I'd like to make some kind of platform feeder that drains to put the seedheads on. Or maybe in a mesh bag. ?? Has anyone done that?

I cut my verbena b. back a couple weeks ago but it's showing no signs of bouncing back yet.

Jay - Is that big stand of echinacea paradoxa on your property? I'm on my second try with that one. I planted some along the edge of our field a couple years ago that didn't return. This year, I planted some in my garden. I only put a tag by one and it's still alive but the same size that it was when I planted it. The others may have accidently gotten pulled along with my weeds. The basal leaves look too much like narrow leaf plantain and I didn't realize for awhile that I forgot to mark them and my eyes are old. I have a few more to plant when the weather cools down a bit. Is echinacea simulata a long blooming plant?

Jay your echinacea are beautiful. I also tried pallida and paradoxa from seed years ago but they never flourished for me and I lost them. Perhaps I will try again. I really love the bloom form of them.

christie I have the same problem, especially this year with the rain. I have a lot of leaners too lol. Most of my yard is shade so some things do lean toward the sun, and then with all this rain, lots of things - especially my daylilies earlier in the season - literally were laying flat on the ground blooming!

:)

Dee

I don't cut back to encourage re-bloom, per se, but rather I deadhead to tidy up, especially annuals -- zinnia, geranium, heliotrope, salvia, marigold are the annuals that pop into mind. A lot of perennials, too, if I have the time and feel like putzing around. I did notice this year that balloon flower will reward you with light re-bloom if you deadhead.

What I cut back hard is catmint and perennial geranium -- after the bloom flush in late May-early June they get cut to the ground to encourage fresh foliage. Otherwise, they tend to look messy. They fill in again very fast and look fresh the rest of the season. No rebloom on the perennial geranium, I can't say as though I've noticed with the catmint -- it's tucked away out of view so I haven't paid attention.

I leave the spent blooms on my Joe Pye and "Herbstonne" rudbeckia. The birds relish the seeds, and because the plants are so tall I can enjoy the feeding show at viewing height out the window. I might have to cut back this year, though -- even though they are hoop-staked with very tall hoops, the storms a couple nights ago did a number on them and other things, I'll have to wait to see if they bounce back upright after drying out or if the stems are broken. Same with the PeeGee hydrangeas. Actually, I am going to cut off the blooms on those because the branches will stay bent out of shape from the weight of the huge flower trusses if left too long. The birds don't care about those, though I do. :0)