Putting The Garden To Bed

 Yesterday I did a bit of cutting back and trimming work in the front garden.  This is my hydrangea in the front - didn't touch that beautiful girl - the flowers bloom on old growth.  The hibiscus in the background however, got a  good cutting back.  I like when it is up and over the walkway, not out into the walkway.

 As I sat in the chill of the morning, I was watching and listening to the leaves fall off the Red Sunset Maples in the front yard.

 Since I came back into the house, this tree has been dropping leaves fast.

 The kids raked the leaves out front yesterday...today I think I will use the riding mower to mulch them...

 The Feverfew is still in bloom...

 Behind this boxwood was a huge daisy mum...the snow last week hurt the plants and they were looking bad, so they got cut back.

 I need to look into how to prune or if I prune my Gold Mound Spirea.  I never have but it has gotten so big....

Today the butterfly bushes need to be cut back and my pink rose by the deck.  Lindsay spent the night with her grandparents so when she gets home I am going to have her work on the veggie garden.  We have broccoli still but everything else is done and needs to be cleaned out. 

Also, I am debating cutting my lilacs down.  I know they bloom on old growth but this last year they didn't bloom much at all, even though I didn't cut it back at all.  Do any of you grow lilacs?  I love them and hate to lose them but we are thinking of taking them out from where they are and then replacing them with new ones in a different location.  
Any advice for me, fellow gardeners?