I have a huge bleeding heart plant that has become like a bush (5 feet wide and 4 feet tall). It is beautiful in May and June, begins to fade in July, and in August becomes a large, ugly, dead-looking hole in my perennial garden. How do I handle this mostly beautiful plant? When can I cut it back, and what should I plant near it? It is in a large (30 feet by 10 feet), sunny, and well-drained area. T.S. Hartland

Your large bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) begins to fade and droop by the end of June because nature’s thermostat is rising quickly. Despising heat, Dicentra enters its dormant phase. By having it in a sunny area, you are pushing its tolerance of heat and light. That is why it melts out by the end of June. It does not hurt to cut back the dilapidated foliage to within a few inches of the ground. These showy bleeding hearts often cast seed. So you may find little sprouts appearing in late summer to early fall. Cutting back the large, fading foliage will allow light and air to feed these seedlings and you will have more plants for next season.

Since your bleeding heart has exited center stage, the object is to add plant material around it not only for camouflage, but to extend the season of color and interest into winter. As you research perennials and other plants, make a list of their bloom times and blossom colors, their plant height at maturity, and how long they hold their foliage. Layout a planting diagram that varies the height and bloom interest. You know the size of the garden bed. Use the information given about the perennials to help you lay out a pleasing pattern with enough room for their growth. Arrange tall plants to the back of the bed and shorter ones to the foreground. Be sure to consider clusters of summer-blooming bulbs and larger shrubby perennials, such as blue mist shrub (Caryopteris) and St. John’s wort (Hypericum) that add presence, but not bulk.

Ornamental grasses offer a long-term reward in the perennial garden with their graceful forms. The plumes of maiden grass (Miscanthus) and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis) really make a statement from mid-August all through the long winter months.

Consider working a small ornamental tree such as a witch hazel into your arrangement, or a small woody shrub like dwarf fothergilla. These provide fall and winter interest long after all the perennials have died back. They also provide natural “scaffolding” to a garden when snow is the only bloom around. They anchor the beauty of the perennials and give them a great backdrop.

My white pines are maturing and smothering the lawn with pine needles underneath. They were originally planted by the former owner as a privacy/sound barrier. They are beautiful but take up an ever-increasing amount of landscaping and gardening space. If I only cut off the lowest line of branches, what shrubs will adapt to all the falling pine needles and shade to keep our vision and sound of the road behind us to a minimum? Anything that flowers or has good fall color would be a bonus. J.S., Novi

White pines shed needles just like deciduous trees shed leaves. And as the pine tree grows, the once dominant lawn begins to shrink and decline. Lawn turf needs sun and water to thrive, neither of which it will get under an ever-expanding pine. So don’t try to resuscitate any lawn under the canopy. If the trees have not become misshapen as they’ve grown together, it might be feasible to remove one or two to allow the others to complete the job of filling in. There is a plus to those pine needles. They make great winter protection not only for the pine tree, but also for other perennials and plants in your landscape. Use some of the abundance as mulch and acidifying compost around plants in other garden beds.

Understand that the best noise barrier and privacy fence you have is leaving the pines alone. Perhaps a focal point bed placed several feet in front of the pines and bermed a couple feet above the plane of the lawn may offer you that colorful relief. The pines would serve as a great green backdrop to a mix of seasonal flowering shrubs and perennials that you could enjoy all year without jeopardizing your natural screen.

If you still want to remove the lower line of branches, remember you are dealing with very dry shade and low light. Anything you plant must be out past the drip line of the pine tree by several feet in order to maximize its sun and water exposure. Be aware that even removing the bottom row of branches will not prevent the expansion of the pine tree canopy and width. Whatever you plant may have to be moved as the pine trees continue to grow. To maintain minimum road noise and privacy year-round, you might try a contrasting low-growing evergreen. One such drought-tolerant shrub is the juniper ‘Gold Star’ with yellow needles. You can intermix perennials such as variegated-leaved hostas to lend brightness to the shade. There are a number of perennials available today that would suit your conditions. However, most do not have four-season presence and will not replace the screening of the pine tree branches.