Advice please for cutting back perennials ?

Fall is the perfect time or even end of summer when they start to die back.

You can cut them all the way back to the ground in the fall

Cut them back before the first frost.

Not necessary. They should be fine!

Hi Gail. I cut mine back as soon as they start browning. Usually in October. I have already cut back Hostas and day lilies in WI. I like my gardens to look clean. You can also just leave them until spring. I don't cut back Cone flowers. The birds like to eat the seeds in fall and winter so I leave them. I cut mine down to the base.

I cut mine way back in the fall and they usually grow back with a vengeance in the spring (the more you cut back, the bushier they grow), HOWEVER, I don't recommend this with hydrangeas. I cut these way back once and it took three years for them to bloom again.

You can cut most perennials back almost to the ground. I let most die back naturally -- for example, iris, daylilies, and purple coneflowers I just let die back with the frost then gather up the leaves and discard them.