Do you have a few tender herbs growing outside in your garden, and the temperature outside is dropping?

You can let winter take its course and plant new herbs in the spring.  Or you can haul them indoors for the winter.

I say, if at all possible, haul them in for the winter!    

Why?  Because it seems like such a shame to watch herbs freeze and turn to mush when you could be using them 🙂

Many herbs originating from warmer climates will not survive cold winters outdoors.  Basil for example, turns black and unusable with even a hint of frost.

By bringing these herbs indoors, you can enjoy them well into the winter.

Bring some hardier herb plants indoors too 🙂

I love parsley and use it a lot when I cook.  In the spring when planting parsley in my garden, I also tuck a few parsley plants into pots with the intent to bring them indoors come fall.

I like the convenience of being able to pick fresh herbs any time I want, even in the dead of winter.

 

There is something deeply satisfying about growing herbs indoors in the winter.

When the wind is blowing snow around in circles outdoors, and you snip a sprig of orange mint for tea, or a branch of rosemary for a roast.  Sometimes, I rub my hands over a rosemary or scented geranium, and the scents of summer fill the air.

Makes any dreary day a little brighter 🙂

Save money at the supermarket, with herbs growing in your kitchen or a nearby room.

You won’t need to be paying for herbs shipped from warmer climates.  Nor for an entire bunch when you only need a sprig or two.

Save money at the garden centre come spring. 

Herb plants that survive the winter indoors can be taken back outdoors in the spring after all danger of frost has passed.  They may look somewhat scraggly after the winter, but will usually resume growing beautifully in a few weeks.

If you’re one of those folks whose done with gardening by the time the cool weather arrives, by all means, spare yourself the trouble and let winter do its thing.

However, if you’re wishing for just a few more warm days of gardening or you find yourself longing for fresh herbs in the winter, bring a few herbs indoors and enjoy your indoor herb garden.

Happy gardening 🙂
Barb

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