We live in an ideal climate for a wide variety of plants. Tropical plants are happy here for about nine months of the year. Of course, they can survive outside the other three, if they are well protected or we have a warm winter. But even a brief time with temperatures below 45 or 50 degrees can do damage.

If you are bringing in a tender tropical plant, check it carefully for hitchhiking young toads, tree frogs and lizards, not to mention the large roaches that love to hide in orchid mulch. They won't be happy inside, so brush them off outside.

It's a really good idea to spray the leaves and stems of these plants with a lightweight horticultural oil. Small insects that hitchhike into the house will have no predators and will quickly develop large, damaging populations. It's much easier to get rid of them outside than once they move indoors.

Inside, try to locate them next to a window. Even with good light through the window, however, it will be a challenge for the plant to adjust. The light levels inside are much, much lower than outside. Humidity is lower and heaters can parch leaves. Between the lower light levels and the shorter days, plant growth will pretty much stop for the winter. So be very careful to watch moisture levels and don't leave the soil too dry or too wet.

Herbs just don't do well indoors. Basil is the most popular summer herb, and one we would love to bring indoors. But it really doesn't like the dry, relatively dark conditions we have indoors. You can freeze leaves in pesto, or in ice cube trays, and just let the plants go.

Most other popular summer herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley, lemongrass, fennel) are quite tolerant of our winter temperatures. You probably won't need to protect them, but you might have to be proactive about watering. We grow accustomed to nature doing the watering during summer and fall and have to remember winter and spring don't have the same rainfall.