GARDENING: How we kept our annual herbs to come back every year

Garden hack to keep annual herbs from coming back every year

Written by Flora Caputo

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July 8, 2008

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Many annuals in pots, in the Midwest cold zones, do not make it through our hard winters. But we have found ways around Old Man Winter. My husband planted some herbs in two window boxes three years ago. Each fall, we put the boxes in our garage towards the front near where our car engines are. They sit up on a shelf throughout the winter. And in mid-April, we put the boxes back outside. And incredibly, all the herbs come back. The tarragon comes back on the old wood as well as the oregano, and the thyme just starts coming up. We have had these going for three years now.

We fertilize them a lot because they have been in the same box and dirt for a bit. This year, we need to repot them because the plastic boxes are starting to deteriorate. We think the key is the warmth from the car engines and protection from the elements. We have windows in the garage as well, helping with the light issue. I think all these things combined help to allow the annual herbs to survive. So try wintering your herbs in the garage, a shed or a cold frame and see what happens!

Flora Caputo
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