pippi21 - what is the compass orientation of the affected bed & its sun exposure/shade cover? A number of perennials can survive the seasons in a container but there are others (i.e, lavender) that suffer from too much winter moisture such as snow and/or rain. I was a bit surprised but happy when WS Heuchera/coral bells, delphinium, Astilbe, Agastache, Alchemilla mollis/Lady's Mantle, Platycodon/balloon flower, Siberian iris & Spirea all came through the winter in gallon pots/larger containers on my breezeway. Phlox sublata/Creeping phlox is a spring-blooming perennial and as long as it gets moved in the fall when it isn't blooming or too stressed due to dry conditions, should transplant in good shape. That's only my own general understanding of perennials speaking--not the voice of experience since I don't particularly like creeping phlox. My spring preference is P. divaricata/woodland phlox which is just as lovely but blooms for a much longer period than P. sublata. Again, it's only my own observation & what I read in my perennial guide but Papaver orientale/oriental poppies grow from seeds, not bulbs, and spread via rhizomes/traveling roots in much the same way as Missouri evening primrose (whose botanical name escapes me at the moment). It's my understanding they're best moved when very young plants as they don't like to be disturbed. You may or may not already know this but laying down a layer (or two) of corrugated cardboard under your mulch will be a huge help in discouraging weeds. I've found the cardboard is free & readily available at my local grocery store, package store or else the recycle bin at the town landfill. A judicious application of ordinary vinegar at the edges early in the season tends to discourage most weeds.

I've found that rabbit damage isn't permanent unless they eat down into the crown of the plant--which they did to some of my hardy geraniums and killed 3 of 6. Foliage and flowers come back the next year if it's just the growth that they are eating. Although the deer don't bother my garden, the rabbits like a few things, especially in early spring. I use the I Must Garden Rabbit Repellent in the large jug with spray. It lasts at least a month, even through the rain. I spend about $25 a year on it. It doesn't smell as bad as some things! Cameron

Yes, slugs can do damage of that sort. Basically, they eat chunks of the leaves, as in some of the leaves on your plants with whole sections missing from the edges. The "skeletonized" portions look like another type of damage to me. Above all though, by this time of year, it's no big thing. It's completely normal for most outdoor plants to have damage by this time. All of that foliage will soon be sloughed off, to be replaced by new growth next spring. I'm sure you know this, and are probably gearing up for next year. I'd investigate slug control regimens. And FWIW, the buried tin can with beer does indeed catch slugs, but also does indeed stink to high heaven once that beer gets good and rotten. I prefer other methods! +oM

AKA Ground Ivy...a real pain of a perennial weed to control once it spreads to shady areas in the lawn, but can also adapt to sunnier areas too. They and root and spread by stem nodes and underground rhizomes. They belong to the Lamiaceae (Mint)family. Actually is one of the toughest lawn weeds to control. Vera