I can't help but I have the same question. Normally I trim things back when they die, but a lot of stuff hasn't really died this year, and I have left a lot of stuff untrimmed. When I do trim stuff back I tend to leave a few inches to protect the crown and so I know where the plants are. It looks like some of the sages that did die back are showing new growth so I was thinking of trimming. -Ais.

I owe many thanks to Cameron and Roper. Their posts last year piqued my curiosity and when I found gallon pots of Heatwave at $1 each last September I was hooked. This year I added Tutti-Frutti and Heather Queen from Lazy S's Farm. Had ordered Raspberry Summer too, but Deb said they had a crop loss. Last week on a nursery visit I lucked out and found Raspberry Summer and Summer Fiesta. I can't believe I went from zero agastaches to 24 in 8 months time.

I have several Hot Lips in a flower bed at an office in SOuthern California (Orange County, near the ocean where it really doesn't get very hot (85 or so max), generally has cool nights (in the 60s) and the flowers turn all white in mid summer, so perhaps heat is not the only factor changing the flower color. Perhaps day length is a factor, too? Mine grow as many-stemmed shrubs, and I cut them back to a foot or so tall several times each year because they have only a limited amount of space. After cutting back, they grow many stems and produce a nice wave of flowers, then continue flowering and getting taller. Eventually, after perhaps 5 months. maybe more (I don't really keep records) they start becoming too tall, looking ratty, and I cut them back. They are very resilient to cutting back, and I wouldn't worry about cutting them back too far. I normally leave very few leaves on them after cutting. although there are a large number of nodes left where leaves emerge. I think normally I cut mine back twice each year, once in winter and once in mid-summer. Keep in mind that my spot never sees frost and they actively grow all year long. I think if I had a shorter season I might cut back only once, sometime in the late winter when the tops had frozen or when I know what type of winter damage I would see that year.

While I don't have a cold frame, several of my friends do, and I can attest to their value. Some of your plants may survive in the ground anyway, and that is something you won't know until spring. Salvia greggii "Wild Thing" seems to be a very durable plant, which is good, because it is one of my favorite greggii. Black & Blue has been here in the garden for about a decade. I had to try it in several different spots before I found a few where it would perennialize. Most years it gets fall leaves piled on top of the uncut stems (wait until the plants are truly dormant)and has returned in good health. This method might not work if you have heavy soil or a large vole population. For all I know the jury is still out of Zauschneria in the east. I have latifilia v. etteri growing and blooming although it is still very small. How has it done for you? Several friends report being able to keep another species of the genus alive but also report it did not flower.