October is drawing to a close and the weather remains mild and damp, perfect conditions to encourage the continuation of dahlia blooms.

Some years they would have gone over by now, felled by the first frosts which blacken the foliage and see to the end of the flowers.

As it is, the buds continue to appear and, should the weather stay warm and frost free, open.

Our dahlias had a shaky start to their season, at least when they were planted out into the garden.

The tubers were put in pots in spring and placed on an indoor windowsill until they had developed sturdy shoots. At this point they were gradually hardened off and planted out into their flowering positions in June.

Overnight, they went from strong, bushy plants to tattered rags of their former selves, having become a late-night snack for slugs and snails. Despite my best attentions, they took months to recover and have only now started to carry the numerous buds one would have normally expected weeks ago.

Next year I will grow them on much longer and plant them out later in the summer when they have got to a good size and the first flowers are about to open.

With luck, they will be better able to withstand the inevitable onslaught of the molluscs.

Dahlias are definitely back in fashion after years of being the preserve of competition growers. They range from the small pompom types with their tiny balls of blooms covering numerous stems to the showy Ascot Hat types, whose massive flowers weigh down the plant and have to supported for the viewer.

They are completely over the top but great as a talking point if you are brave enough to have a go.

Traditionally, dahlias are grown from tubers, but they can also be grown from seed for flowers in the same year. Thompson and Morgan has several listed in its 2007 seed catalogue including the first striped mix from seed which has taken the company ten years of breeding and selection to develop. Fireworks Mixed (£1.99/75seeds) should be sown from February to April under glass, hardened off and planted out in May or June after the frosts for flowering from July onwards. It is a dwarf variety growing 40cm/16ins tall. ( For T&M 2007 catalogue call 01473 695224 and quote reference E201).

While dwarf varieties are good for providing long-lived colourful containers, the tall dahlias are best for planting in clumps in the border among other tall late-flowering specimens such as rudbeckias, michaelmas daisies and grasses.

I have a dark-leafed, rich-pink variety growing with the striped strappy leaves of Miscanthus zebrinus and Calamagrostis x acutifora Overdam and blue and pink flowers of Aster frikartii Monch' and Sedum spectabile.

Other planting schemes could have them growing with sunflowers of a similar height for a strong effect or interplanted with masses of willowy Verbena bonariensis and green-flowered annual nicotiana for a more subtle effect.

Once the first frosts have begun, dahlia tubers need to be lifted. Cut the blackened stems down to about 15cm/6ins, carefully loosen and lift from the soil and knock surplus earth off - it isn't necessary to wash them.

Hang them to dry upside down for a couple of weeks then dust with Vitex Green Sulphur to stop any rot and store in moist sand in a cool, frost free place until next February when the cycle can start all over again.

In sheltered places the tubers can be left in situ, covered in a thick mulch for winter protection. But it is a risk - I did this with three of mine last year but only one survived, so I will be lifting them all this year.

  • Weekend catch-up

Finish planting daffodil bulbs and continue planting crocus and grape hyacinths. Once the bulbs are in, plant out hardy spring bedding such as wallflowers, sweet williams and forget-me-nots. Self seeded forget-me-nots can be lifted and replanted now if they are in the wrong place. Soak bare rooted wallflowers before planting to give them a better start.

  • TV and radio

Tomorrow

8am, Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. Gardening tips from Doug Stewart and Blair Jacobs.

9am, Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther with Joe Maiden.

2pm, R4, Gardeners' Question Time. A postbag edition with Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew, Anne Swithinbank and chairman Peter Gibbs. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.25pm.

Tuesday

8.30pm, BBC2, Digging Deep. Amanda Brooks and Andre Smith visit a Wiltshire couple whose garden became a focus for distraction from grief when they suffered a series of miscarriages. The horticultural therapists want to dispel the negative associations of the garden to help the owners move on.

Friday

8.30pm, BBC2, Gardeners' World. Monty and Carol start to prepare the garden for winter by wrapping up the banana plants and tree ferns to protect them from frost and clearing out plants past their best. Meanwhile, Joe looks at how to attract butterflies and moths.