Freezing temperatures kill some tender herbs, such as nasturtiums, which turn to mush at the first hint of frost. However, for many other herbs soggy ground is a more serious threat. Dormant plants don’t absorb water and their roots simply rot, a fate that can meet herbs which die back above ground and those which drop their leaves and use their woody stems as protection against the cold. Ironically, only annuals, such as nasturtiums, are safe, as their seed will germinate the following spring.
