Living Greens: Bring Herbs Indoors This Autumn

Bringing herbs indoors before the first freeze is a great way to add greenery and freshness to a long, cold winter. It will also jump start next year’s garden.

If you’re up a little before dawn these days, you’ll notice the constellation Orion hanging high in the eastern sky. The winter stars are on their way — and with them, cooler weather. In just a few short weeks, gardeners will wrap up their beds for the season.

But that doesn’t mean you need to give up fresh herbs until spring. There’s nothing quite as pleasant as a little green around the home during the winter months. If you start now, you’ll have a vibrant and useful stock of herbs at hand through the holidays and beyond. They’ll freshen your cooking — and your indoor air — until next planting season.

Use what you have

You can buy new plants, of course. But you’re in great shape if there are already got some herbs in your garden. Mint, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and chives are all good candidates for relocation indoors. Mix a rich batch of potting soil. Equal parts of commercial potting soil, sand, and peat moss should do well.

Taking care not to damage roots, transfer some healthy plants to pots and set them aside in a deeply shaded area such as a porch. You’ll want to allow your herbs a week or to become acclimated to the reduction in heat and sunlight before bringing them indoors part time. After another week or two, your plants will be ready to stay inside for good.

Stay green all winter

Locate your potted herbs where they’ll get plenty of light, but are away from heating ducts and major appliances. Don’t over-water, but remember that indoor environments are substantially dryer than outside.

Take care of your plants well, and they’ll survive for replanting (or propagation) once the weather warms. Reading from the Southern Hemisphere? Bookmark this article and come back again in March or April. And we’ll all swap seasonal places again.

Have you had a great indoor plant experience? Please share your tips in our comment section!

Twelve Practical Ways to Green-Up Your Autumn

The arrival of autumn means cooler temperatures, darker evenings — and a last chance to get your home ready for winter. Here are twelve ways to get started!

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ve probably already noticed the first hints of autumn: a blush of color in the leaves; earlier sunsets; and cooler evenings. The winter constellations are slowly creeping higher in the night sky, and it won’t be long before we’re all involved in the downhill rush toward the holidays.

Spring and autumn are the “fix-up” seasons, as we make ready for big changes in the weather. What you do over the next few weeks can make a tremendous difference to the size of your environmental footprint through the winter. So we’ve put together a few autumn to-do items to get you started. Sharpen your pencil — and start checking a few off your list!

In the home

• Check your weather stripping. You should do this twice a year. Look for cracks and deterioration, and verify that door seals are tight.
• Review attic insulation, particularly if your home is over 20 years old. This is the area in which you can make the most dramatic savings in annual heating bills. Take a ruler into the attic. If you have less than a foot of insulation, you probably need more.
• Seal window air conditioners. Once you’re past warm weather, unplug and seal your window units. If it’s practical, store them. This will also allow you to seal your windows with energy-efficient plastic film.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL or LED lighting. Shorter days and cooler temperatures means more time spent indoors. If you’ve not already re-lamped with energy efficient bulbs, now is the time.
• Install a programmable thermostat. Smart temperature control can easily save 10% of your annual heating and cooling bills — a significant reduction in your household’s carbon footprint. Basic programmable thermostats can be purchased for less than $30, so you’ll recover you investment very quickly.

In the yard

• Start a compost pile. Compost heaps need both green and brown matter to get cooking — but there’s no shortage of carbon-rich leaves in the fall. Grab then while you can.
• Consider planting trees. Some varieties do well in the gap between summer’s heat and the real onset of winter. Consult your local nursery or agricultural agent for advice on what sort of trees might be appropriate for autumn planting.
• Bring your summer herbs indoors. There’s no reason not to enjoy fresh basil, mint, and rosemary through the winter months — and having some green indoors will remind you of spring. It takes a few weeks to transition herbs to indoor living, so start before the weather turns.In your car

In your car

• Most automobile owner’s manuals recommend a switch of engine oil weights between seasons. If you did this last summer, switch to your car’s recommended winter weight as soon as the weather cools.
• There’s really no such thing as a “safe” antifreeze, but if you’re getting your radiator flushed before winter, ask for a propylene glycol (PG) formula. It’s less toxic to children, pets, and wildlife than ethylene glycol (EG) coolants.
• Do you have a roof rack for carrying summer recreational equipment? Remove it until next year. Roof racks decrease your vehicle’s aerodynamic efficiency and hurts fuel mileage — particularly at highway speeds. While you’re at it, check you car for any unnecessary summer items, such as coolers or picnic gear. No need to burn fuel by carrying unnecessary weight.
• Evaluate your tires. Worn tread and improper tire pressure aren’t just bad for fuel economy — they’re not safe, particularly if you live in an area where highway icing is likely. Inspect, rotate, and balance. Whip out your tire pressure gauge at least once a month and check all four corners.

We’ll make this list a baker’s dozen: If you’re shopping for sweaters, jackets, and winter wear, start at your local secondhand store. It’s not just price — though shopping the thrift shop and rummage sale circuit can save your hundreds of dollars — it’s putting perfectly good clothing back to use, rather than consuming fresh resources. You may also be supporting a worthy local charity or civic group with your purchase.

So there’s a start. Once you get into autumn “green-up” mode, you’ll probably think of other small projects. Get to them before Jack Frost beats you to it. And here’s wishing you a rich, warm, and Earth-friendly autumn.

Do you have some autumn tips to share with the Lighter Footstep community? Please add your best practices in our Comments section!