Bring in the sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives and basil. Put them in a very sunny window.

I'm glad you asked this bhmlurker, as I am new to the area and also living in an apartment with container plants on my patio. I have some herbs, but several are perennial shrubs or trees to-be, like my beach plum and lacecap hydrangea. When should these be brought inside? Is it at, or before, first frost? Or can I cover them for awhile until a freeze occurs? Could I delay this by mulching them in their pots?

The reason I am trying to delay this is that I have seen ants on the deck, and am trying not to bring them indoors.

Thanks in advance for any help - I am new to the Huntsville area from the northeast - feel free to email me directly with any good advice.

Thanks,

Kim (drippy)

Please know that most herbs won't be happy when brought from the outside to an indoor window....no matter how sunny. In my part of Northern Al, rosemary, thyme, and chives do quite well outdoors all year round, even in containers. I have a containerized thyme that is in its' 8th or 9th year.

drippy, your plum and lacecap won't need to be brought inside at all. They are deciduous plants that prefer a cold, dormant winter and wouldn't be happy at all inside. You may want to protect them if we get some of those nights in the teens, so that the roots don't freeze solid in those containers. Perhaps you have an unheated garage you can keep them in after they lose their leaves?

Thanks so much, Rhizo - in the northeast, where I came from, the shrubs are fine in the ground, but leaving anything outdoors in containers is risky (although I've had columbines survive that way). My plants are currently on a cement patio with an overhang - it's an apartment complex with no garages - but I'm sure I can protect them with mulch, or blanket them for a single night if temps in the teens aren't for a long stretch. LOL, temps in the teens are the HIGHS in January in the area I moved from.