Could you tell us what your plants are then we can give species specific advice

Generally, now is not a good time to cut things - its perfectly alright to remove died back growth, and if plants have died back to the base, cut that growth off, but anything green, particularly evergreen, should not be cut now, as a general rule, though there are exceptions.

It's mainly things like lavenders, salvia's etc. I have a couple of plants which have shed all their leaves and so I have cut those back, and what about geraniums. thanks for all info.

Lavenders should have had their flowering stalks trimmed back in early September, with a bit of leaf as well to keep the shape. You can remove dead flower stems if you didn't do it then. Salvias could be annuals or perennials, don't know which ones you've got, but they don't like winter wet much, and, if you mean by geranium, pelargoniums (drumstick flowers, summer bedding) they need protection from wet at least during winter, or even bringing into a greenhouse. Proper Geraniums (cranesbills) should have died back and will grow again next spring.

thanks, the salvias are definitely perennials and the geraniums are big, I think 'proper' ones. I know I may sound thick, but what does died back mean? Once all the flowers have died, should I cut right back down nearly to soil level?

"Died back" refers to what happens to most perennials (not all) at this time of year - the top growth (leaves, etc.) goes brown or yellow, stops growing, withers and shrivels back to the soil. I wouldn't cut the salvias at all at this time of year. And if you have proper Geraniums and not Pelargoniums, they should be dying back now - leave them alone till spring, when you can pull off the dead stuff on top - as they're in pots, the dead growth over the compost will help protect them.

thanks very much that's a great help!

I'm waiting for the first frost before I start my winter clear-up. Makes it easier to see what's alive and what's dead. Perennials - those things that die back in teh winter but grow back up from ground level in teh spring - call all be cut back in winter. It's more to do with making things look tidy than for the plant's benefit usually.

I suggested leaving the dead topgrowth on the Geraniums only because they're in pots, Sid - fine to clear it all away if they're in the ground.