Saving container plants: overwintering techniques for keeping tender plants alive year after year

Enjoy your favorite container plants year after year! From geraniums to fuchsias and beyond, many container plants can be overwintered and enjoyed again the next season. Alice and Brian McGowan offer simple techniques for overwintering a variety of common tender perennial plants based on what kind of dormancy the plants go through in their native environment. With a plant-by-plant guide for quick reference, this Storey BASICS® guide will inspire you to create a stunningly varied container garden that comes to life every spring. Keep beloved plants coming back for years to come with expert methods for storing and caring for frost-intolerant greenery through the coldest months. EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Enjoy year after year of blooming beauty from the tender perennials you grow in containers. Benefiting from the overwintering techniques explained by plant experts Alice and Brian McGowan, many of your favorite summer plants, such as dahlias, fuchsias, and geraniums, will survive winter's unfavorable conditions, and you'll save on your plant purchases the following spring. A detailed plant-by-plant guide provides easy reference to more than 100 popular container perennials. Part 1: Gardening with Tenders What Is a Tender Perennial? Selecting Which Plants to Keep Why Grow Tenders? Part 2: Overwintering Your Plants Overwintering 101 Sunny & Warm Cool & Bright Dark & Damp The Importance of Temperature Setting Up Your Site Preventing Pest Problems Specific Pests and Diseases Spring: The Transition Storing Plants Outdoors Part 3: The Tender Palette Quick Tips for Overwintering Plant By Plant Sources for Plants and Seeds Index