Find a Cold Winter Home for That Hardy Potted Perennial
A plant tag describes the perennial, but exposed roots need their own plan. Nina Solis works through the winter-location decision.
Author: Nina Solis
Room for plants in everyday life
Nina Solis grew up in Queens with her grandmother Isabel’s kitchen herbs as a reminder that a garden could begin in a window. Later, a succession of rentals taught her to look beyond the plant itself: how many stairs a pot would travel, where it could drain, and what a landlord would allow.
Since 2018, Nina has gardened in a Philadelphia rowhouse rental with her partner Amir. A small back patio and two indoor windows provide her growing space. There is no spare greenhouse or hidden yard, and water has to come through the kitchen. Those limits are part of the story, rather than details to crop out of the picture.
As a transit-map illustrator, Nina enjoys clear diagrams and bold labels. Her own plants are less orderly than a finished drawing. She likes the process of finding a workable arrangement, moving a plant when the light changes, and deciding what is worth carrying indoors before the weather turns. Cuttings sometimes leave with her brother Leo after a visit.
Follow Nina as she shares the small-space experiments, seasonal adjustments, and ordinary logistics of keeping plants close to everyday life. Expect lively observations, useful details, and an honest look at the bucket beside the beautiful pot.
