"kate" wrote in message
...
This is the first year I've had potted hardy perennials and it looks like
middle TN is about to plunge into low temps. I've got carnations, some
form of wandering jew and bee balm. Will they over winter outside in their
plastic pots or should I a)plant them or b)bring them inside?

Kate - who finally planted garlic yesterday

hey Kate.......madgardener here (I grew up and lived most of my life in
Nashville). Question........the carnations that you have....did you get
them at a nursery? Or at Kroger or a grocery in the florist section? And a
type of wandering jew? I can say the wandering Jew won't survive the hard
frost that is coming your way. Is it all purple? There are several types of
wandering vine-like plants in the Tradescantia family. "Wandering Jew" or
Inch plant won't hold up to temperatures below 40o You can bring it in and
give the long stems a haircut and root them to make another pot or plant
them into the soil with the rest of the plants.

The purple one is Setcreasea purpurea known as purple boat or Purple heart.
That has to come in as well. I know the nurseries sell it as a ground cover,
but it's not hardy I myself have the Siderasis or Brown Spiderwort, which I
didn't want to lose so I brought mine in Friday. There is also a variety of
Tradescantia called Zebrina which is also known as Wandering Jew, way more
colorful with leaves green, silver, edged in pink or green, and purple, or
even green, silver, pink and red. These can't survive past 40o outside.

Now the Bee Balm.......Yes, it can survive in a container. But honestly,
either plant it today, or heel it in until spring, mounding leaves around
the pot to protect the sides against the cold, winds. If you can get a
shovel into the ground, you could plunge the pot and all into a hole, but if
I were you, I'd plant the Monarda and mark the spot with the lable and whack
the stems back to within three inches tall and water it well and forget
about it. Come springtime you'll see little triangles coming up where you
planted the clump, and before you know it, they will have quietly risen up
to become those great stems with the flowers that hummers love so well. I've
taken to putting one of those garden grids over mine as they tend to flop
due to the raised soil being a bit too rich for them. But in regular and
poor soil, they flourish and stand more upright like they're supposed to.
I'd even say the second and third year when they start bulking up and
spreading, to cut them back when they get to two foot tall to make them
branch. They're tough. Members of the mint family.

Hope this helps! g
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36