We went tromping out to the garden the other evening to dig up that pretty habanero plant.
What did we find? A herd of deer, grazing away at the tops of all the hot pepper plants.
Well, we brought this one in anyway, minus its top leaves. And as you can see, it’s still pretty.
Some strange business, though, deer grazing on habaneros. This drought must really be getting to them.
Or maybe they’re just a bit foolish?
I just got back from a trip North for the second annual Northeast Community Herbal Convergence.* I was worried it might frost while I was gone, but of course that didn’t happen. The garden is very much alive.
In fact, my habanero plant is covered with peppers. I’m thinking of potting it up and bringing it inside for the winter. I’ve done that with pepper plants before—they don’t belong in this seasonal climate of ours, and they tend to be so beautiful right before frost.
Years ago I dug up a thai chili from my garden in Norwich, Vermont. I kept it with me for three or four years—in I don’t know how many different apartments—and it produced peppers the whole time.
It’s easy to dig up a plant from the garden to bring inside. Some take to it better than others, of course. Peppers, especially hot peppers, tend to do well, as do most herbs. Anything that’s perennial in its native habitat is worth a try.
Just dig carefully around the edges of the plant, and transfer it gently to a large-enough pot with plenty of dirt, and maybe a few rocks for drainage. Water it thoroughly and put it in a sunny spot inside. Keep a close eye on it at first, since you may have imported critters, etc. from the garden.
*If you want to hear all about the Herbal Convergence, you can check out Guido’s very detailed report.