Why are my happy face potentillas turning brown from the bottom up?

Question

I planted them in May and they are now mostly brown with only some green and flowers on the top branches. They are in a 15 x 3 ft bed and all my other plants & shrubs are doing well. Orange rocket barberry, varigeted Japanese sedge and blue fescue. Photos included. I scraped one of the branches and it looks green underneath but most seem dead. Hoping I don’t lose them. Any help is appreciated.

• 

Answer 1

Potentilla care includes removing some of the old stems at ground level after flowering. You can cut back the whole plant to rejuvenate it if necessary. Here is more:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/potentilla/growing-potentilla-shrubs.htm