Unless you are in a really high water table area, your garden is extremely close to a waterway, or for some reason planting in an extremely sandy soil area where you also have a lot of moisture...then most home gardeners are having an extremely small (to none) impact on their local water tables. We gotta remember there's 2 main worlds in the outdoor food production game...those managing a few sq foot to a couple acres...and those managing 100s-1000s+ of acres. While some information you get may be technically true for everyone, it may not be an issue depending on the actual variables and the scale of the operation it's being applied to. There's no shortcut around managing nutrient runoff on 1000+ acres even in the most hospitable areas. The home gardener gets a whole lot more leeway.

Sounds like it does need to be radically pruned. I have a floribunda that does this each year, get covered in blooms and then falls over, especially if it rains. Right now I'd just cut the height and leave the structural pruning for next spring, as you suggested. It is hard to see with all that growth in there.

You all made such interesting points but some trouble makers (lol) have crushed my unstated theory if the amount and type of clutter in my home mirrored the amount and type of clutter in my landscape the same must be true for my neighbor. I was so taken back by the self-realization that I purchase decorative items for both my interior and exterior based on a drive to surprise, I thought for sure I could then deduce I would find similarities in neighbors interior and exterior design ie if their landscape was filled with lots of big bold color that the same would be true for their interior. I suppose in a perfect world any thing we added to our interior or exterior would have been predetermined by our overall design but lets be honest most of us don't live in furniture showrooms or nursery display gardens. The clutter of aunt Mildred's rocker or your Hydrangea collection can water down your original plan to a point where you can't recall ever having had an overall design. For fun lets try this little experiment imagine if you will the conversation when there is a knock on your door or garden gate and it is someone who you don't know very well and who has never been to your home/garden. Of course the first sentence out of your mouth is something about excusing the mess, your guest then makes a complimentary statement (isn't it telling what first catches a visitors eye). Now your response is the significant moment in the conversation I believe whether we realizes it or not most of us are compelled at this point to define our design for the visitor. "Thanks, I really like that cottage look ect". Let me know what you think. Wendy- aka troublemaker, I love your analogy. Although I am a big fan of bright bold color I have always limited that impulse to rugs and fabric (ie Susan Sargent) I don't know why I am such a paint pussy but I am. Recently I replaced upholstered furniture in my living room and discovered that there was little for sale that wasn't a neutral beige, white, or black. I suppose we are held more captive to the trends offered in commerce to our interior designs then we are with our exterior designs. Carl- I am sure I am not the only one who is hoping to make the move back to New England. Carol - making one object or plant the center of attention for a short time - placing a blooming potted plant in an important location, or bringing out a different beautiful curio each month, the way the Japanese do, in the tokonoma . Also, the grouping of objects or plants concentrates the "busy-ness" and leaves the rest of the space feeling more open and calm Really Brilliant. Pixie lou - Wouldn't it be interesting to hear the first impressions of a visitor to both your public and private spaces. I am going to guess you would be very surprised. sharbear50- Welcome to the New England forum and safe travels. Nan - I think you are being your usual humble self I see an overall design in both your indoors and out. dee - I am curious after you ask your visitor to excuse the mess in your home/garden what comes next? spedigrees - We are a lot alike but after many many years of collecting I am now readying my house for the possibility of renting. It has been an interesting process and I surprised my self in the end to see what was packed up and what was not. terrene - I envy your self control when it comes to interior clutter!

they often need 2 or 3 years to really put down roots, some nurseries recommend to plant them in spring as they tend to suffer after fall panting. plus, they do spread, so are definitely not the right plant for small/ narrow borders (4-5 feet or less), so don`t blame it on the plant but make sure that you can provide enough space (just like for a Great Dane...) we have mild climate (7-ish) and they are wintergreen for me, stopping shortly when it freezes, and after 5 years+ mine are almost 4 feet wide (one plant) I just pull up emerging shoots when they start crowding nice Hostas, and find them quite easy to regulate, there are far worse spreaders. But they do need some space, so yes, if your border is rather smallish, be brave, shovel prune them and jump at the opportunity to research for something new to fill he gap ;-) otherwise, (in heavy soil), they last long and are really workhorses, not fussy, and such a great show in early fall