End of a Long (Plant) Tradition?

A friend of mine has a large potted tree that sits on her patio all summer... And then its branches hang over her bed all winter... (It's too big for any other room in the house!)














I've never felt comfortable bringing outdoor plants indoors - for fear of what creepy-crawlies may have established nests in them. But for years I did take my potted outdoor plants to school for the winter. There they added a touch of nature to my classroom or office, enjoying that light that poured in through the large windows... (And I don't recall an infestation of insects ever being a problem.)

When I left teaching, I wondered what I should do with my outdoor potted garden. For two winters I did bring these large pots in... But it was hard to find a good place to keep them... They usually ended up crowded into the sunniest upstairs bedroom. (And I never did have an infestation of insects there either.)














But I don't have a lot of space. And I have a lot of indoor plants already, so this year, I'm thinking of leaving them outdoors... to die. They didn't bloom this year either. Is their soil becoming depleted?














Is it time to recycle them into compost? I could take cuttings from each plant to propagate... And I do have a few I could take out next summer to replace them...














It seems the logical thing to do. But I still find it hard. I have had them for such a long time!