Carherine..
I think I may hire a garden center crew or landscape crew to do clean-up this year - it would give me a nice headstart.
Catherine[/quote]
If you have never hired a landscape crew to clean, be careful.
I did that one year, they came in with electric hedge trimmers and mowed everything down. Good thing the lavender had died but the Oriental Poppy winter crownes were shaved off.
In spite of rough treatment, everything came up and was fine.
Despite this I will hire a crew again and just "get over" the shock. My new person is a plant lover and will clean and leave the cleanings at the side of the garden where her helpers gather and bag. They also haul to the curb.
