Early Spring Cleanup

Mark Holsing

I have two new hellebores that I planted last spring that are sending up buds now. When should I remove last year’s growth? They’re coming up through the leaf mulch I put down in the fall and I don’t want to damage them by moving the mulch or cutting the old growth back too early. Also, I put in two autumn ferns last spring and they’ve stayed green all winter thus far. I usually cut back the dead growth from my ferns in late February or early March when I put down the first spread of compost and mulch. Do I leave the green on these and just let them fill in with newer fiddleheads, or should I cut these back like the rest?