You were smart to bring them in. You don’t want the roots to freeze. Once they are in the ground, I would try to protect the tops for about a week to let them settle in. (The traditional vegetable garden protection is bed sheets from the house. You could also use the pot they just came out of to cover them at night. Of course, all the covering has to come off for the day. And if you get far enough below freezing, nothing helps.) After that the roots should still keep growing until the ground freezes hard. The nursery bed is probably a good idea. But don’t just depend on the tags to stay in the ground all winter. Make yourself a map on paper and label everything on that as well. Then make two copies of the map. (I speak from experience.) Same principle for moving plants that have been growing in the ground as for the stuff in pots.
About Kathy Purdy
Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. • USDA Hardiness Zone:4 • AHS Heat Zone: 3 • Location: rural; Southern Tier of NY • Geographic type: foothills of Appalachian Mountains • Soil Type: acid clay • Experience level: intermediate • Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY native plants, gardening with/for children
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