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Filled to the Brim

November 17th, 2014

I’m guessing if you are a gardner you overwinter a few potted plants indoors like I do. Over the years my collection of plants has grown and grown. This past weekend I finished bringing in the last of the plants, most of which were figs. I like to let them experience some cold so they go dormant for the year. These ‘Hardy Chicago’ figs are perfectly capable of overwintering in the ground here in Maine, but I haven’t found the perfect spot for them yet, so they move in and out with the seasons.
overwintered potted plants 1
There are also quite a few citrus trees, some old and producing, some only a few years old. There are also various pots of herbs and a few succulents that spend the winter in the basement. All of these plants appreciate the coolness that they find in our unheated basement. They get fairly good light from the south facing windows in the doors and they love the 50 degree temps. I have a shelf that they will all be organize onto that is on wheels, which makes it easy to wheel them out of the way when we need to bring in more wood. That is on this week’s project list.
overwintered potted plants 2
There are also many tropical plants upstairs, these all prefer the much warmer temps of the second floor. In that collection there are avocados, papaya, passion fruit, mango, and banana. Upstairs you’ll also find various pothos living in each room, along with lots of jade plants and other succulents. I love what houseplants add to a room, there’s something quite nice about seeing something green and living when everything outdoors is brown or blanketed with snow. My mom always had lots of houseplants, I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

Do you have a collection of plants that move into the house in the winter?

6 Comments to “Filled to the Brim”
  1. Patricia on November 17, 2014 at 6:29 am

    I don’t overwinter plants but I am happy to hear that you are successfully doing it in Maine! My in-laws have a fig tree growing outside & since my fil passed away my husband covers it with a blanket for his mom. It us thriving. I will be thinking if adding some fig trees & citrus in the near future.

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  2. Nebraska Dave on November 17, 2014 at 9:57 am

    Susy, nope no house plants here. The house design is just not suited for house plants to survive. The only plant life inside the house is in the basement under the grow lights when seed starting begins. Well, and then I’m just not a inside room designer. My thoughts are always toward functionality than toward how it looks. My room decorating choices tend to gravitate to logical and not creative. I do like the look of houses with plants in them but I only know of one friend that has inside plants.

    Have a great winter preparation for plants day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  3. Sarah on November 17, 2014 at 10:22 am

    I wish I could bring plants in but a tiny house, a cat and a toddler mean it’s not a good idea. We also don’t have any unheated area (no garage or basement) so it would probably confuse the plants.

    Reply to Sarah's comment

  4. Kristen on November 17, 2014 at 5:20 pm

    I bring in my rosemary each winter. Last year it made it successfully through the winter so I have hopes again for this year (if I remember right, watering is key!). I bring in my olive tree too and then in the spring it graces our back deck with its loveliness. There is one lone geranium overwintering in the garage.

    Reply to Kristen's comment

    • Sarah on November 17, 2014 at 9:53 pm

      That’s funny – here in Texas rosemary grows like a weed and the only way to kill it is to water it too much!

      Reply to Sarah's comment

  5. Erika on November 18, 2014 at 9:28 am

    Yup, the bay tree is in its winter quarters along with the rosemary and lemon grass. The fig trees moved into the barn last week. This is my first winter with fig trees so I hope they do alright.

    Reply to Erika's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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