A number of tender annuals can be carried over from 2007 to the 2008 gardening season, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

"The key to success is in following a few tips," said Greg Stack. "The first time we hear the word 'frost' from a television weatherman, we go into high gear looking for bushel baskets, bed sheets, and newspapers to cover our favorite tender annuals in order to coax a few more days of enjoyment out of them. But soon even covering won't save them.

"Not everything is a good candidate for carrying over to next year and sometimes you have to just let go."

Yet, he emphasized, there are many plants that are excellent candidates for the carryover process.

"With all of the interest in coleus, it is easy to maintain plants over the winter to use in next year's garden," he said. "The best way is to take cuttings. Just before frost, cut off about a four- to five-inch piece of the tips of the stems. Remove the leaves from about one to two inches of the stems and insert it into a pot filled with moist potting media.

"Enclose the pot with cuttings in a zip-lock bag to maintain moisture. Check to see that the media stays moist and in about seven to 10 days you should have roots."

At that point, put the cuttings into individual pots, place them in a sunny location, and grow them over the winter. An occasional pinching will keep them short and compact. In the spring, about four to six weeks before planting time, take cuttings from these plants and root as before.

"You'll have plenty of coleus to spread around," said Stack. "If you don't have or don't want to use potting soil to root your cuttings, a glass of water works just fine."

Geraniums are another popular "carryover" plant. There are two ways to handle them, he noted.

"If you have a very bright, sunny area you can grow them as winter houseplants," he said. "Dig the plants up just before frost, cut them back by half, pot them up, and grow them all winter. Again, pinch occasionally during the winter to keep the plants short.

"If you don't have an indoor growing space, there is another time-honored technique. Dig the plants up just before frost, shake the soil from the roots, and allow the plants to air dry for a few days. Place them in a brown paper bag that has lots of ventilation holes punched into it and hang it up in a basement or crawl space where the temperature is about 45 to 50 degrees F, dark, and well ventilated. Leave them there all winter."

In February or March, Stack added, check the plants and you should observe very fine hairs appearing on the roots. This is a signal to pot the plants. Trim them back, water well, place in a sunny location and start them growing.

Cannas, those large-leaved showstoppers of the garden, are very easy to overwinter. Right after a light frost has blackened the foliage, dig up the rhizomes. You will find that they have increased tremendously in size over the summer, giving you lots of plants for next year.

"Place the clump in a well-ventilated spot to air dry for a few days," he said. "Leave the soil attached to the rhizomes and place the clump in a plastic milk crate or other well-ventilated container. Place the container in a basement or crawl space where it is about 50 degrees F or so and dark.

"About six to eight weeks before planting in the spring, bring them up and divide the clumps so you have several growing tips per division. Pot them, water, and place in a well-lighted area to start growing."

Dahlias, either the large exhibition types or the smaller bedding types, are always worth saving, Stack noted. After a light frost, dig the tubers which look almost like sweet potatoes. Allow them to air dry for several hours and then wash the soil away with a hose.

"While there are many ways to store the tubers, the secret is to store at a temperature of about 50 degrees F and in a medium that allows for exchange of moisture between the medium and the tubers," he said. "Many dahlia growers use plastic bags for storage and coarse vermiculite or dry peat as the medium. Add vermiculite or peat to the bag, place the tuber in the bag, and cover the tuber with more media.

"Next, seal the bag and punch a few small holes in the bag for air exchange. Store in a basement or crawl space. Check on them occasionally during storage and if they start to shrivel, add a very small amount of water to the media."

So, all does not have to be lost when the weatherman says "frost."

"Just go out and round up your favorites and keep them for another year," said Stack.