First year flower gardener. What do I do for winter?

I have perennials and annuals. Some things say to "cut back" but I really don't know what that is. Do I cut it off at the ground or just trim it?



Here are some of what I have:

Blue Potato Bush - most leaves have fallen off.

Various Burberry and Boxwood - most burberry leaves have fallen.

Calla Lilies - really would love those back next year.

Foxglove - was mostly leafy this year

Burning bush

Summer Nights Larkspur

Hydrangea

Mums



Various annuals: marigold, cosmos, others

First year flower gardener. What do I do for winter?
your perennials should be trimmed [the cutting back part] pretty decently, depending on the plant.

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/prun...

for your hydrangeas

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/exten...

and

http://www.plantanswers.com/garden_colum...



for others. Unfortunately with the annuals theres not much you can do, unless you want to pot them and keep them inside over the winter and replant them in the spring. hope this helps