Pruning of what?

Some of my perrenials did not get cut down last fall, and I also have a number of shrubs that need some trimming as well. I was going to trim/cut some down while they were dormant in the winter but they were buried under snow and ice.

So things like shrub roses, hydrangea, weigela, summer phlox, dayliles, and so forth.

The weather is getting warm enough now though that I am not so concenred now. I just need to get it done before things start blooming.

I totally agree with removing any unsightly old stems sticking up before this years' growth comes on. Doing it in the spring is fine, and that's what I did when I lived in 5b. The old stems/leaves help catch leaves and snow, which help insulate the roots from wild temp swings over winter. Buried under snow and ice is wonderful (for plants hardy to locations where that kind of weather is normal.)

Many Hydrangeas bloom on old wood, so trimming that kind now would likely eliminate the blooms for this year. If all above-ground parts are crispy and dead, that's a moot point, and probably not the kind you have. If you wait until you see new growth at the bottom, you'll know if anything above is still alive since it will have swollen green buds by then too. If not, you can know you're not removing anything good if/when you trim close to the ground.

I do the same with the roses, if you have room for a larger bush. If much of it is still alive above ground, you might be able to leave more height/bulk after trimming for overall shape, removing any floppy and wild canes. If they are hybrid teas, that might not be good advice. This is how I do the knockouts, climbers, and NOIDs (which may or may not be hybrid teas.)

Never had Weigela, I'm sure someone will address that one for you.

I don't think you can go wrong with seeing what's still alive in the spring, then trimming it to desired shape/size, though some people just don't like to look at 'dead stuff' all winter. Neither is more right or wrong, just personal preference, and what one's schedule and weather will allow.

The exceptions are the shrubs that bloom on old wood. If you have any other shrubs and don't know whether they're new wood or old wood bloomers, the shrub forum folks could help with that. For old wood bloomers, one should wait until just after the bloom (whenever that is) to prune so a years' blooms are not lost. Those that bloom on new wood are those one would trim on a schedule, in the fall, or in the spring after seeing what parts are alive/dead.

There's no rule that says shrubs must be trimmed though, aside from maintaining a pleasing shape and removing dead parts. Unless they will be too big for the area they occupy, trimming shrubs just because a year has passed is optional.

Thanks purpleinopp. I'm actually trying to pay attention to new wood vs old wood bloomers. Weigela bloom on old wood, but I'm finding that the snow, ice, and wind do so much damage that it looks as if I cut it to half height anyway, although some long branches were left unbroken so the plants are now asymmetrical. My Hydrangeas are mostly paniculatas, so I think they are all new wood bloomers (Endless Summer blooms on old and new, I guess).

I've been thinking of switching to more new wood bloomers to keep pruning simpler, but then I'd likely miss spring flowering. So I guess I'll have to start putting in more spring blooming perennials like peonies to help make up for it.

Anyway I'm still experimenting to see what I like. Expensive, but real experience is the best experience, I guess.

Sounds wonderful! Unless you have a huge load of cash, it takes a few years, even a decade for a garden to mature and look great all of the time. If you're into spreadsheets at all, that's a handy tool for logging when you have blooms. List the plants one way, the months the other, put an X where they intersect to see at a glance the times you have no blooms. Then you can inspect the area (where you live, to see what IS blooming) during that time.

Bulbs are fantastic for spring blooms, you may want to start getting into those also.

Looking at pics from my central OH garden in April, there's creeping Phlox and Pulmonaria, Lilacs, daffodils, Bergenia, Tulips blooming. Pics on 5/4 show Columbine, bearded Iris, Myosotis, Veronica, Violas, Heuchera. If you like any of those, they might add some early color for you, especially around shrubs that will bloom later.

This pic is from 4/20/03, a bed created the year before.