I wouldn't cut back any plant before winter;
let them keep photosynthesizing (making & storing food) for as long as they can. When the foliage turns brown & icky, you can cut it off. Bulbs especially need all the time they can get;
if they don't store additional food, the new growth uses up the energy the bulb stored from previous years, & the bulb gets smaller-
(sort of like "living off the principal"!) A friend always cuts back her elephant ears, although I keep telling her it isn't a good idea. The other day, she told me she' sick & tired of them because every year they get smaller & smaller, & she's going to dig 'em all up & throw them away! I never cut back irises;
they're evergreen & those leaves are storing energy all the time, building it up for those beautiful flowers. I don't know a lot about azaleas;
the ones we have here are more or less evergreen, & it seems like the only pruning is for aesthetic reasons, to maintain shape & keep them off the walkways & so forth. Have fun & enjoy your garden! | 
