Last summer I sowed and planted all kinds of biennial and perennial herbs in my garden.

From seed I had

  • thyme
  • marjoram
  • parsley and
  • chives

and as young plants from the garden store I bought

Some of these plants didn't make it till fall (lovage which got its roots eaten by someone for example) but most did, and as these plants are mostly for warmer climates than ours, I decided to take some of them to pots and try to overwinter them indoors. I left the lavender and mint outside - mint should make it on its own and the lavendar too when well covered (I did that with spruce branches for one plant and one I left to its own devices), the rest I either took to pots completely as it would 100% sure to die outside (rosemary, marjoram) or for the rest I took some to pots but left some outside to see what happens.

The mid-term report

I am sad to say my potted plants except for chives, sage and orange thyme are not looking so good. I assume I had some in too warm places and forgot to water them often enough. On the other side, I think a few froze in their cooler winter home in our so-called laundry room located in another building on the premises. The plants are looking really dry and brown. I am still trying to water them in high hopes that when spring arrives they will somehow revive.

The chives support this theory - they were looking really brown and bad already, but more watering revived the plant so that it started growing new green chive leaves, which is great! As they say, hope dies last.

And happily enough the orange thyme is doing very well and I can even see some new growth - in the middle of winter! That's one success at least.

It's too early to tell how the plants outside are doing. Ask again in April, May and I'll let you know!