Keeping the Garden Groomed

Many of the perennials in my garden are gorgeous when they first bloom, but they become far less attractive as the flowers begin to fade. As an example, here is a clump of rudbeckia that is past its prime.

A few minutes of deadheading, removing the old blossoms, will make the clump much more attractive and may encourage some new blooms to grow. Here is the same clump after it has been deadheaded.