Unless you have a hard freeze in Texas...your herbs will come back. The peppers probably not...it's a vegetable not a herb. They like dry soil and lots of sun. Make sure during the growing season you pinched your herbs back often...
I use miracle grow on all of my plants...so I can't offer any "natural" remedy other than perhaps manure or from a compost pile.
I still grow my tomatos upright ....I've seen the planter you mentioned but it got unfavorable reviews from a local garden expert so I haven't purchased one. Plus I don't really have an area to hang it....bad review or not.
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