That time again - planning for overwintering tender plants

Windsor Matthew

Morning  everyone! It's been a good year in the garden but it's time to go over my checklist to try and remind myself how to best overwinter my various plants. Be interesting to hear your views and own approaches as I tend to stress a little!

Gunnera – cover with straw but how wet or dry do you keep them? Mine sits in a boggy bowl. 

Zantedeschia Aethiopica - cover with straw, how wet or dry thought as, again, mine sits in a boggy bowl?

Colocasia - in open soil, I cover them with straw and this was successful last year. Even de dark coloured variety I have survived (mostly). Should I lift it?

Canna - I cover these with straw (in open soil).

Ginger lily – first year for me; shall I lift it; I can store it in the dark garage in some bark chip?

Various succulents like Zwartkop and paddle plant – I was thinking of putting them in a small cold frame to keep them from getting wet and frozen?

Water Lily – cut back, sits 1m deep so should be OK.

Astilboides and Darmera - I cover these with straw.

Marginal Water plants – I left in them in the pond margin and covered them with straw last year (bull rush, calla, Papyrus).

I also covered the straw I put over various plants with some bubble wrap last year as I worried about it getting soggy and then turning into solid ice when there's a frost. Anyone else share that concern?

Where's everyone at with their own prep?

I am in the Southeast / Berkshire so relatively mild.

Buttercupdays

Not all the plants you mention are tender. My garden is at around 1400ft in the Pennines and winters here have frequently featured frosts, heavy snow and low temperatures including -12C for two weeks.

Bullrush (Reedmace) grows wild here, my Darmera has survived and flourished for many years with out  any cover, and though I don't have Astilboides, the RHS state it is fully hardy down to -15C at least. (I have lots of Astilbes). You don't need to cover the entire garden in straw

Windsor Matthew

Hahaha - yes you make a good point! And I shall try not to!

Joyce Goldenlily

I live in Cornwall and grow ginger lilies in the open. I never remove the tops of the plants, I let them die off and then leave the tops as a mulch. We do not get severe long lasting frosts down here so have never lifted the ginger lilies to keep inside for the winter. 
I lived in Berkshire for many years and the Thames Valley is a frost pocket where you can have long severe periods of freezing weather so it is a good idea to protect frost tender plants.
It sounds as if you are being over protective with some of your plants.

Windsor Matthew

Yes, I may well be! :-) So it's good to be told, then I can man up a little! Thanks!