Help to clean-up my perennial garden

[fairy dance]

I wanted to know if anyone knew the best way to prepare my garden after winter. I have quite a few perennials in my garden that I planted last year and they did very well. Do I try to till the soil around each plant or can I till over everything and still expect the plants to grow as it gets warmer?

[buddy110]

Why do you want to till around them? What are you trying to accomplish?

[rainbowgardener]

I just cut down the dead stuff, and trowel under some of last year's mulch, loosen the soil a little that way and put down fresh mulch.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Are we talking roto-tiller till or what? That tool should be used ONCE to prepare the bed and then never again. Ever. Veggies, perennials, lawn; it doesn't matter, roto tilling destroys soil...not to mention chops up crowns and roots the perennials will grow from

(stops rant, gathers breath, lowers blood pressure... )

Rainbowgardener has it right. but just a quick scratch to mix in the mulch. Less soil disurbance is better for soil biologies, and soil biologies are mostly good for plants (95% of 'em, anyway). Perennials look after themselves mostly the first two years. We'll talk dividing in year three...

HG