Now is a great time to work on cutting down perennials that are in your landscape. Perennials needs to be cut back to keep their appearance nice and clean.
The vast majority of perennials need to be cut back at some time in the year. This most likely is going to be in the fall once they start to die back, or in the spring before the new growth starts. Much of the timing can be left up to your personal preference. However, some look better to be done in the fall as compared to being cut back in the spring.
Some examples of plants that look better to be cut back in the fall are hostas, daylillies, peonies, coneflowers, etc. These types of perennials seem to flatten out and have no winter interest.
Perennials like ornamental grasses, sedums, ferns, etc. can be done in either the fall or the spring. If you wait until the spring to cut back these types of perennials, the plant can still have some winter interest as it pokes out of the snow.
Ultimately, when you decide that the job of cutting down perennials needs to be done, just remember that some plants may have some winter interest through the snow covered winter landscape. But don’t forget that it is best to have them cut down before the perennials starts to grow again in the spring. However, the most important factor is your own opinion of ‘have this taken care of in the fall and no worries in the spring’, or ‘have something poking out of the snow during those long winter months’.