Peter Dowdall: Frost signals season's end for certain plants. Here's how to manage their downtime

The frost has done what frost always does, signalling the end of the season for dahlias, writes Peter Dowdall. File picture

It happens every year on December 25, yet every year I am still hopelessly unprepared and in a panic in the last few days. Yes, I’m one of those people, cluttering up the shops on Christmas Eve with my entire list, often still unstarted. Mind you, I think I always get there in the end, or else I’ve got a very forgiving family.

The first real cold snap of the season always seems to catch us the same way, no matter how many years we’ve been gardening or how often we reassure ourselves that we’re ready for winter.