Garage, loft and basement

These are perfect places for some plants to overwinter after spending the summer outdoors. Once the temperature starts falling in the autumn – before the night-time frosts set in – you need to move olive trees, citrus trees and palms inside. These plants are accustomed to a Mediterranean climate, so it’s important to recreate the climate that they normally have during the winter. They then do best if they get to be semi-dormant, at temperatures between 0°C and 10°C (32°F and 50°F), with some light and just a little water once a month.

Other houseplants in pots that can overwinter frost-free in the garage, loft or basement are ivy (Hedera), fig (Ficus carica) and ginkgo.