Under glass

[primsong]

I could taste it in the wind this afternoon, that it would be cold tonight - cold enough, perhaps, to freeze. Went in and checked the weather report, sure enough... 32 degrees. Not a hard freeze, but the beginning of the winter's delicate frost touches. I brought in a little firewood then began choosing and carrying my potted plant-children into their winter home.

My greenhouse is old, a home-made, paint-chipped affair and anything but weather-proof, really. Nevertheless, I love it; it has 'personality' and a charm all its own. We did what we could to prepare it, stuffing holes with chunks of foam, ran a bit of duct-tape where smaller cracks allow the rains to enter a bit too vigorously. The missing pane has a temporary covering against the coming winds, keeping that cold hand from swirling among the more delicate fronds. The last pot was lugged in and chose its seat on the wooden benches.

Work finally done, I slid the latch on the door and just stood a bit, watching the brightness of the geranium and fuschia blooms through the mossy glass, leaves of cannas lifting up behind them, a trailing froth of tiny white stars pouring down from a hanging basket, the tiny toddler-heads of a row of baby doug firs peeking up among them, waiting another winter before they're to go in the ground among their larger kin.

Sleep sweetly, little ones. Winds may rattle the bones of the grapestems across the glass, icy rains course nearby but it will not touch you. Spring will come again.

Comments

[maidoforange.livejournal.com]

Nice greenhouse, Prim. I hope the baby firs do well. I know they will with you taking care of them.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I hope so too - they're all volunteer firs that I find from time to time in the yard, coming up where some squirrel buried some cones I expect. As they're usually *not* where I really want a big tree someday, I dig them up and pot them for a couple years then place them where they might do the best among our small grove. There's something cute about baby trees, they're so little and fuzzy with little arms sticking out.