There was a serious frost warning last night but the temperature was 36 degrees when we woke. Not even the basil was nipped.

However, it seems that it is only prudent to give the houseplants that have been vacationing on the piazza an insnpection for disease or pests, a watering and a good shower. This task done they are certified safe and I bring them back into the house.

The census this year is a giant jade plant, a jasmine, a maidenhair fern, two scented geraniums, three Christmas cactus, a cyclamen, an angelwing begonia and a sad looking spider plant. I also brought in the fuschia because it is still blooming. We’ll see how long it lasts inside. Most of the plants are in our Great Room which is very bright with big south and west windows, but rarely heated. I can vouch that it never goes below freezing and on days when it is sunny it gets up to 60 degrees even in coldest winter. The jasmine always looks dead by the end of the winter, but with longer days it dependably sends out new shoots. All the others don’t seem to mind the cold. Or temperature shifts.