As summer starts taking its final bows, you might feel compelled to grab your pruning shears and cut back all the spent blooms and crispy stems in your garden. While this is helpful with some plants, others are best left intact—especially if you want to encourage pollinators , wildlife, and healthy growth next year.

“It can be tempting to keep deadheading all year long for neat borders,” says Andrew Porwol, gardening expert and founder of Sapcote Garden Centre. “But think about this before you grab the shears: A ‘messy’ garden in late summer may be the most vibrant.”

In other words, there are instances when doing less is better for the environment and your plants. Avoid deadheading these plants until after summer.

Andrew Bunting , vice president of horticulture at the Pennsylvania

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