I planted two Dahlia plants (miniatures) earlier this summer in a tub with Cosmos and Lobelia, and they are wonderful. I've never had Dahlias before (in fact, I'm pretty new to gardening), and I love these little charmers. My original plan was to rip everything out in the Fall and plant seeds of California Poppies for Spring blooming - I did this last year, and they were great, but of course, I needed something else for Summer-to-Fall bloom. All the above plants have done very well. My question is: the Cosmos and the Lobelia are annuals, but I know that dahlias are not. Should I lift the tubers in the Fall, or just keep them in the tub? We are in Central California, and the Winters here, though nothing like the severe Winters back east, can still freeze things (this last Winter, we had a month of very cold temps, and whole citrus groves froze). If I lift the tubers, do I let them dry out, etc., as with other bulb-type plants? Sorry to ask what must seem like a terribly basic question, but our only gardening book is a VERY old Sunset Garden Book, and I get an allergy attack just opening it up (the new one is on my Christmas list for this year!).

Thanks for any advice, Laura