Lemon verbena

[FindMeInTheSunshine]

Advice gratefully received. I've managed (so far) to keep a small lemon verbena alive that I bought earlier this year, but I'm wondering what best to do with it over winter. I'm in the south of England and have an unheated greenhouse, but the door is missing so it's not really much warmer than outside! I could potentially dig up the verbena in autumn and move it into a large pot with a cloche over it in the greenhouse. Do you think that would be OK? And, if I do that how should I water it over the winter months or do anything else to it?

I keep mine outside all year. (London) I think this one is about four years old now. They do look pretty awful through the winter so I don’t draw attention to it, but come back to life in spring.

Could you put a screen of thick polythene over the greenhouse doorway.

The wet is more likely to harm it than the cold. I would put it in a pot and place it in the greenhouse with some thick card or blanket around the pot. Don’t water it as it will get enough moisture from rage cold air

I didn't realise they would be ok outdoors. I searched for years to find one and kept it as a house plant. It's grown so big it has propagated babies, now I have too many! I might put one in a pot and place it outside to see if it lives which it wont

I've tried to grow it outdoors twice (rural home counties) and it has died.

Mine did fine until it started raining heavily and then it died. I'd just buy a cloche and not try making one out of bamboo canes and clingfilm like I did and it should be fine.

Thank you all for your messages. I'll give it a try in the greenhouse and keep my fingers crossed!