SOMETIMES it will come early, sometimes it will be late, but there is nothing more certain than the arrival of the first major frost- a taster of winter to come.

So far it has been cold enough to turn the grass white and crunchy beneath our feet and even hard enough to get me reaching for the scraper to clear the car’s windscreen.

But, for us at least, the ‘big one’ has yet to blacken and lay waste to all those tender garden beauties.

Until that devastating day comes, dahlias take the lead, seeming to glow brighter as the days grow shorter.

Some may pronounce them common or vulgar, but that is not a view shared by me!

They are simply marvellous and bring back many fond memories...

As a small boy I remember often hiding among them and gazing up in amazement at their huge, perfectly formed flowers in every imaginable colour held on thick, hollow stems.

They still give me great pleasure, and one variety we use extensively has great presence - The Bishop of Llandaff.

Up to three-feet high, it could be grown for its finely cut, dusky bronze foliage alone. But, when coupled with fiery red flowers, it brings real warmth and richness to the garden.

When the inevitable happens and the tops are flattened by the big freeze, then all is not lost. Simply lift the tuberous roots and store frost free for the winter. They will burst back to life and glowing good health again early next spring.

Chris Crowder is head gardener at Levens Hall Chris.crowder@me.com Jobs to do this week After that BIG frost...

Dahlias: cut off the blackened tops, lift the tubers and dry them off upside down for a few days. Finally, set them back upright in trays of peat, to stop the roots drying out and shriveling up too much. Store them cool but frost free for the winter.

Cannas: chop off the tops, and lift the roots to store cool, but frost free for the winter. Or... leave them in the ground and cover with a thick insulating mulch of compost or leaves and hope for a mildish winter.

Fuchsias: the hardiest sorts will survive the winter okay. Leave the tops on to protect lower growth. Wait until spring before pruning the dead twigs away, right back down to living shoots.