**TO CHOP OR NOT TO CHOP ** that is the question?

I just tidy up most perennials and leave over winter to protect the plant crown and then clean up early spring.. Shrubs I tend to prune after flowering and roses I just trim over and prune in the early spring, except for my climbing roses as they flower on last years growth so need to be pruned after flowering. Clematis I prune as advised for the different types.

That's a beautiful rose... adding this blog to GoYpedia Pruning ... in anticipation ;o)

I have done it both ways, but find that if I do not clear the debris away late in autumn the bulbs get buried beneath it.
The borders had bulbs planted in them when I started gardening. As I enlarged the borders and dug out more grass and the borders became bigger the bulbs were in the middle of the borders. If I leave the debris of the dying perennials they just get buried so now I take out all that I can very late on into autumn or early winter. It is a shame really because some of the taller plants, like Crocosmia Lucifer give good stature to the winter borders, with lovely seed heads. I have been known to leave some Lucifer seed heads in as it is much easier to clear away after winter frosts have reduced the strength of the stems.
Of course this all depends on how the weather is and how often I can get out there to do the clearing away.
I too love that rose it is so pretty. :O)))))

I get rid of everything I possibly can before winter sets in. I know it's not the 'right' way, but I justify my need for tidiness with the fact that I have so many slugs here, if I leave the debris, they have hiding places a-plenty. If I clear away the debris, the blackbirds and thrushes keep them under control.

My pruning regime is exactly like Karen's and for the very same reasons! My beds and borders might well look bare and uninteresting but in my mind I know that I haven't contributed towards their winter keep!

I leave most clearing up till spring as I do like to have something to look at all year round, and also it helps keeps the cats off. I don't want to have bare soil around or it encourages them! I have no 'need for tidiness'!lol It might be better if I did!:)

We're all different Louisa...and thank goodness for that!

I like to cut back in the Autumn too but sometimes I run out of time. As I only grow tough perennials, no harm seems to come to them. I do like to see the garden quite tidy over winter. Plus, there's so much weeding to do in the spring, I can do without cutting back perennials too.

I usually wait until January and then start with the winter pruning, followed by cutting back some of the tougher perennials such as phlox, asters and Japanese anemones

In the past I have tidied away all the debris in the autumn but these days I leave the bits that look so good with a bit of hoar frost on them .... well that's my excuse! ;-)

Beautiful rose, I usually tidy up what I can...

Very interesting replies, thanks you all for answering........I do hate the garden looking so messy, and like Karen I do not want to give the slugs/snails the opportunity to multiply.....and Olive has a point regarding the bulbs, I think this year we may go for an early chop!!luckily we have many evergreen shrubs, so the garden never looks bare, it is mostly perennials, astrantias, hardy geraniums, etc....and the hostas look dreadfulfull of holes!!

Oh yes, the hostas have been chopped down a couple of weeks ago, all bitten up and still loaded with snails.

I started clearing up about two weeks ago. I try to time it with the arrival of the green bin waste collection. We have a lot of Kniphofias and left over the winter the foliage stinks. I keep the healthy leaves for my own compost bins but chuck the stuff that looks a bit worse for wear in the hope that with their huge heaps any overwintering fungus etc will be killed by the heat they generate. Our bins are not big enough to heat up properly. That is a lovely rose and so nice to have colour going in to the autumn.

I leave everything to the spring Dd.......for one, I'm lazy, and two, I like to leave nature a blanket for what's ahead, the ladybirds need nice leafy homes, so do beetles.....plenty of time to prune, tidy, chop, and rake etc. when the weather starts to warm up again! :) They say that being too tidy has been the sad demise of our hedgehogs too.

it takes me from now till the spring to clear everything up in my garden. I like doing it in the autumn/winter as i can wear protective clothing and not get tooo hot..and i like the fact that it stays tidy till the spring...:-)

My grandfather always said that anything that blooms up to June, cut back in July August and anything that blooms from then on cut back in November December. It works for me. The roses I cut back in November to a couple of feet to stop them rocking in the winter winds, and clear any debris, (dead leaves underneath the roses because it helps to rid the ground of black spot,) then add a sprinkle of compost at the base of the bushes. I give them another cut about March and make sure the dead wood is cut out altogether. Feed the roses middle of April with rose fertiliser sprinkled around the bottom of the bushes. Hope this helps, although everyone has their own method usually.

Thanks ladies, some very useful replies, Lindak Oh looks after the roses, and like you cuts down twice....I am really trying to eradicate black spot this year, will know next year if I have been successful......
Sandra with a garden your size I am not surprised it takes you till the spring lol