Now may seem like a really strange time to talk about tidying up the garden. Aren't all the flowers in full bloom? Yes, most of them are, but some have already finished their blossoming for the season. The remnants of these plants must be addressed.
If you want show-stopping color next spring, now's the time to take the spent heads off lilac, Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica), and rhododendron. If you don't, the plant will put most of it's energy into seed production rather than pushing out blooms for next season.
For rhododendron, it can be tricky. It's far too easy to clip off not only the spent flowers, but next year's leaves. Pictured below (focus on the section just below my thumbnail) is the nodule that attaches the bloom to the rest of the plant. If you look closely, you will see new leaf growth at its base. Being careful not to disturb the new growth, bend the spent section until it snaps off. The spent blooms actually come off quite easily, but you must go slowly, or you will inadvertently pull new growth off as well. As for the spent flowers that have dropped, don't allow them to litter the area around the rhododendron because the blossoms may precipitate fungal infections in the soil which can spread to the shrub.
Pieris japonica (AKA Japanese Andromeda or lily-of-the-valley bush, due to the similarity of the bell-like blooms) is a staple in northeast areas for early spring bloom, and to keep deer and other critters out of the garden. The leaves of this plant are poisonous, so wildlife steers clear. In fact, birds don't even nest in it! In my yard, they prefer the rhododendron right next to it!
Like the rhodies, the pieris has plenty of new growth surrounding the spent flowers, so utmost care is vital to protect the plant and ensure plenty of budding next spring. I never take pruning sheers to this plant. I prefer to do as I do with the rhodie--pull off spent buds by hand. Granted, it's tedious. The buds are smaller and harder to isolate and yank off. This is a time when I must remember every good gardener's mantra: patience is what makes a beautiful garden. I don't try to take all the buds at once. Every day for a few weeks I'll pluck a dozen or so dried-up flowers, as well as errant dead branches.
By now you should have deadheaded all spent lilac blooms (at least a month ago). If not, leave them alone! Lilacs, need to be removed immediately after blooming, or you risk trimming off next year's blooms. I learned this the hard way when I clipped back my lilac bushes one warm July morning, many years ago. The following spring the bushes were shapely--and very green. I'd clipped off every last bud!
As for flowers, there are a few hard-and-fast rules. For example, if you deadhead roses and mums, you'll promote new growth (you're essentially tricking the plant into putting forth new flowers when you take existing ones), but deadheading won't garner you any more blooms on your flowering bulbs.
If you're unsure whether certain plants will re-bloom if you deadhead them, why not try it? At the very least, you'll remove old growth, improving the appearance of the plant.
If you're looking to increase the number of plants in an area, don't deadhead. After my poppies finished their blooming last year, I was tempted to cut off the long, gangly stems, but instead I tucked them under the foliage of a Montauk daisy because I wanted the seed heads at the top of the stems to dry out and burst forth with fresh seeds. It was a good idea. This year I had twice as many poppies in the flower bed.
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