Okay, I promise you, the only thing in the world I can grow is one of these. This fall, or late summer, when the blooms die (like, very dead) cut it off. When you have the "bare sticks", leave it alone, as it looks like that during winter and early spring. Petty much leave alone all the time. What you have is a Lacey variety, I don't think you'll get the pom poms like you thought. To make it hearty, mulch up around the base, don't hit the roots, and mix the native dirt with used coffee grounds and egg shells, and put it back down. It sounds nuts, I know, but they love it and it keeps 'em blue.