This rendering is an example of how people and plants relate. Just putting plants into your home will not provide the oxygen everybody needs. It is more to see the growth and actually seeing flowers bloom in winter. Photo provided by Joyce Arleen Corson.

By Joyce Arleen Corson
Guest Columnist

If you live in an area that experiences below-freezing winter temperatures, as happens in zone 5 here in Indiana, you have a choice every fall. Do you let tender tropical plants live by overwintering them inside? Or do you treat them as annuals, let them freeze, and get new ones next year from the florist or your favorite garden center?

Joyce Arleen Corson

Once again our knowledge helps us understand the unique gardens we own.

The illustration shows some blocks, flowers, people arms, and assuming water in a can. I interpret this as building blocks of knowledge, the plants give us oxygen as their by-product of photosynthesis making chlorophyll for their growth and development. We absorb the oxygen from trees, shrubs and flowers for our survival. In return our by product carbon dioxide is used in their photosynthesis. Together we need water from the earth for survival.

We are fortunate to have artisian wells flowing continually in our area with fresh water.

Overwintering my favorite tropical plants and some annuals, in our home is a fall tradition because I love what they do for us. Each summer as I enjoyed my tropical plants, I’d decide which varieties were going to live, and which I’d sacrifice to winter’s freezing temperatures.

I always told myself I’d be smart and systematic about it come fall, but invariably, autumn would come and the evening before the first expected frost, I’d rush home from work and hurriedly start getting my plants ready to go in.

The first thing I’d do is give my plants and pots a good washing with the garden hose. This reduces the amount of clean up after your plants are inside. It also helps cut back on hitchhikers like lady bugs and stink bugs.

This depends how close or how far we are to the sun. The cycle of seasons has stories to be told about annual, perennial, and biannual plants and their dancing date with Jack Frost, 32 F 30 C!

Right now, No. 1, Autumnal getting ready for Thanksgiving, we just passed Sept. 21, which has the sun over the equator called Equinox. If you live in Indiana you missed the chance to save your tender flowers.

No. 2, The next big change is Dec. 21, the sun is over Tropic of Caproicorn and most of outdoors in Indiana may be covered with snow.

No. 3, March 21 Equinox sun is over Equator and things may begin to warm up always remember, freezing is, 32 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 Celcius the world around.

No. 4 June Solstice June 21, Sun is over tropic of Cancer, and the circle of heat we hope is making it warm enough to attend summer camp!

Actually they can be numbered in any direction, I put summer last because it is the longest wait to get to summer in Indiana, none the less most enjoyed! The cycle of seasons has stories to be told about annual, perennial and biannual plants.

Those flowers that are annual will grow from seed, flower and produce fruit in one season! Perennial like peony, often called a shrub, will return from the ground every year, flower and produce seed!

The biannual, like hollyhock after they have their bloom, will produce seed but next year will just grow a bouquet of leaves from the roots and seeds first year. Then be prepared for a beautiful show of flowers. Once established by alternative biannual plantings flowers will be seen every year. Working with Mother Nature requires a lot of patience, just remember she bats last!