Dead or dormant?

Half the garden seems to disappear or go brown in winter. Are the plants dead or will they return?

1 This upright perennial had lovely pink daisy-like flowers with prominent brown cones (June-Sept). In winter it looks like this! Has it popped its clogs or will it return next year?

2 These tired-looking, ribbed leaves belong to a shade-loving plant that was very green and glossy from spring through to late summer. Some leaves are holey too. Is it dying?

3 After a flamboyant flourish in autumn, with vibrant pinky-red flowers from Aug-Sept, the leaves and fleshy stems of this plant are turning an insipid yellow. RIP?

4 Part of a vigorous boundary hedge, this large feathery tree has patches of sickly brown foliage. Might a bit of heavy pruning help revive the plant in spring?

5 This energetic, self-clinging climber normally has glossy green leaves and little black berries loved by birds. Is it on its way out or are the leaves dying down in autumn?

6 Are these brown leaves a sign that this slowgrowing green plant, often used for parterre hedging and topiary, is becoming dormant or is there a bigger problem?

7 After flowering Aug-Sept, the leaves of this cascading, hummocky grass turned a golden brown, despite starting the year bright green. Will the plant survive the winter?

8 This hedging plant started the year a lovely fresh lime green then turned brown and yellow in autumn, but as it’s hanging onto its leaves, it can’t be deciduous. What’s wrong?

9 The feathery flowers in Sept-Oct turned to soft, fluffy seedheads on this wafty, upright grass from China. As it goes brown, is it becoming dormant for winter, or will it die off?

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