QUESTION: We just moved into a home that has several gardenia bushes damaged by the frost. They have new leaves and today I discovered a bloom. When should I trim off the dead leaves and wood?ANSWER: If your gardenia was damaged by the deep freeze last April — or even if it escaped — this is the time to think about pruning them. This is a vexing problem for many gardeners. And it often stems not from weather damage, but from incorrect placement.People choose a charming plant, set it out and before too long, it is up in the windows, covering a sidewalk or simply too big for its space. When that happens, whatever the season, people tend to go after the plant and trim it. Too often, this means the flowering season is lost for the year.Most gardenias make their biggest show of bloom from late spring into early summer. When this bloom season ends, starting about now, you can prune the plants. Established plants can be pruned by up to one-third and should show a good recovery through the summer, provided they are kept watered.Dead wood caused by the freeze must be trimmed back to green wood. Strive to retain an oval shape for the plant, which may require pruning some live wood elsewhere on the plant. Part of a gardenia's beauty is its evergreen foliage arrayed on a graceful plant.If your plants still have flower buds, don't prune until they open and you can cut them to put in a vase with water.