Pacific Northwest Gardening: Winter Prep, 0 by Kymmco

Kymmco wrote:
I feel like I've learned a lot aout gardening in the last few years, and particularly this year since I found DG. But I still don't quite have the whole overwintering thing down. What do you mulch and when? What comes in the house vs. in an unheated garage? Where do the pond plants go?

So with a cold and wet weather in the forecast, this seems like a good fall to try and get my ducks in a row. I have lots of questions, but perhaps I'll start with my African Honeybush (melianthus major). I bought it around this time a year ago, read conflicting hardiness accounts and dithered around about whether to plant it out or bring it in for the winter. Eventually I flailed and did the worst of both worlds - left it in its 2 gallon pot and sunk it in the ground with some leaf mulch on top.

Inexplicably it pulled through just fine and is currently growing away still in its pot in the ground. So, should I dig it out, unpot it, and plant it out for the winter? Or call it luck getting thru one winter unscathed and bring it in for the winter? And if bring it in, how does one decide if something needs to go in a dark basement vs. hanging out next to a window for the winter?

So post your words of wisdom or winter prep questions here.