If there is one phrase that Julie and I associate with our awesome dad, Smitty, it's "Use what you have." We grew up learning to recycle and repurpose things long before it was cool. So you know we are all about saving our plant babies. We used many tropical plants as the "thrillers" in our summer planters. These plants won't withstand a freeze in most zones so you are left with a choice...pitch or keep them. We advocate for keeping them, of course!

Before the threat of a frost sets in your area, remove the tropical and repot it in a pot with drain holes. We recommend gently spraying it with a hose and using an insecticidal soap on the leaves since it's been outside all summer and probably has a few creepy crawlies that you don't want to bring inside. We are planning to bring our bird of paradise (pictured here), majesty palm and dracaena inside this winter. Your tropical plant will live happily in your cozy home all winter long and you can bring it back outside next spring. Like Smitty says, "Use what you have."