Outdoor Plants That Can Survive and Thrive Indoors

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Prep Outdoor Plants

Everyone could use a summery boost in the dead of winter, such a plant blooming in a sunny window or fresh herbs snipped for dinner. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to achieve. With just a little prep, you can bring a bit of summer’s flowers and flavors indoors. Begin with these plant-prep tips:

Plan Ahead: Start moving outdoor plants indoors before there’s a hard frost.

Trim: Cut plants back to a manageable size.

Contain: Dig up annuals and move them to containers that will accommodate their size. Add a high quality potting mix as needed to secure the outdoor plant in the pot.

Inspect: Look for insect or disease before moving them inside. Snip off damaged leaves. If you find insects, consider using an insecticide.

Shower: Give the plants a quick shower with the garden hose to wash off any dust or insects. Make sure to spray the undersides of leaves.

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Ready a Spot Inside

Determine where to put the plants indoors, keeping in mind that good light is essential.

Give annuals and herbs as much light as possible. Windows with east, south or west exposure work well for plants that want to bask in the sun. North-facing windows work well for shade-tolerant annuals and herbs. Light is especially important for flowering annuals such as impatiens and geraniums.

Move them in and move them around as needed, until you find a spot that suits them. Don’t worry too much initially about dropped leaves. That will happen as your outdoor plants adapt to less light than they had outdoors.

Read on for some of our favorite outdoor plants to bring indoors for the winter.