... that's more than two years. Though there are exceptions, it would probably be easiest for you to think that plants that go from seed to seed in one year, and do not return the next, are annuals. Completes life cycle & goes from seed to seed & dies after a year = annual Takes 2 years to complete its life cycle = biennial Capable of persisting for 3 growth cycles (years) or more = perennial The geographical location a plant is grown in has nothing to do with whether a plant is a perennial or annual. "... are there any true annuals?" Yes, of course - many thousands of them. Something I wrote a while back that is related & may give you more insight: "First, let's make a differentiation between annual and perennial. Technically, and in most cases, an annual is a plant that germinates, flowers and dies within the period of one annual growth cycle. You can artificially prolong the life of annuals by preventing them from setting seed or by manipulating photoperiod (day length - more specifically, night length is actually the determining factor). Perennials are plants that are capable of living for three or more growth cycles. Trees are perennials. We often mistakenly refer to plants such as Coleus, snapdragon, petunias, or Impatiens as annuals, simply because they will not overwinter in some zones, when in fact, they are all true perennials because they are capable of living for three growth cycles. Annuals have adapted to their reproductive strategy for a number of reasons. 1) The plants die in order that they can translocate biological nutrients and minerals to the seed. 2) They die in order to leave growing space and return nutrients to the soil for the next generation. 3) The plants die so duff can insulate the seeds (with the dead leaves and stalks) against winter's cold. 4) It may be a timing issue to take advantage of a cultural opportunity to set seed early to gain a space advantage or to ride on autumn winds or the coats of migrating animals, etc You might think the physiology of death in annuals would be through simple aging; that is, accumulated mechanical injury or tissue damage causing increased sensitivity to environmental stress, bringing on death. But actually, simple nutrient withdrawal/translocation to seeds from the leaves eventually brings on starvation or some other nutrient deficiency, causing death. That is, the seeds take what nutrients they need by diffusion from the adjacent cells and this causes those cells to become an energy sink, where the nutrients pass from the leaves to the seeds. Hormonal or chemical messengers are released by the developing flower or seed, or the photoperiod influenced leaves themselves, which causes the plant to begin degrading itself and transporting the resulting nutrients out of its cells into the developing seed. In most cases, freezing temps are only the coup de grace, as the plant would have been already in the last stages of it's life cycle, ready to succumb, with or without the aid of Jack Frost." I hope this was also helpful - I don't know what more I can offer. Al

Oh Sultry that's a very sweet picture. :) It must be so nice to have her company while you're working in the yard. I cook a lot of Thai food so I like Thai basil and lemongrass the most. I can't grow regular basil to save my life so I grow African blue basil to take it's place. It's easy to grow from cuttings, I can grow it in the yard with little care, and the bees love the flowers. I am truly horrible at growing tender herbs like dill and basil. I have a lot of oak trees (and their shade) and it seems my herbs always get moldy or bolt. Plus, I tend to be a lazy gardener so if something needs too much tending it won't survive. One year I had a bush oregano that grew to about three feet tall and it was amazing, but I can't remember the name and haven't seen another one since. If anyone knows what it is please share the name because I'd love to try to find another one. I was thinking Mexican bush oregano, but haven't found anything online. I recently tried culantro to replace cilantro, but it's bolted already so I'm assuming the taste of the leaves may be too strong or bitter. I just keep trying new things and stick with what survives without too much care.

Yes, the chives have lived for years outdoors here in zone 7 (you in zone 5b-6... our east mountain area or? north up by Santa Fe?) but the tops die back when it freezes so I clip off the top, chop it up & keep it in the refr. to use. The basil I took indoors is alive but will see how long it survives indoors & also being an annual! Rosemary ( tree-like), lavender, sage doing great all winters. Unusual, but this year just here at our house in Albuquerque it is mile high/5280 ft. & no real freeze yet in December: 60's days/ 40's & high 30's nights!!

PLEASE join the swap thread for this years swap...says 2019