come in from the cold

[OT from cottage renovations]

come in from the cold brings to mind the track from Joni Mitchell's 1991 album Night Ride Home, or John le Carré's early novel of cold war espionage.  but as the overnight low temperature starts to dip below freezing, it becomes an imperative: wintering over the porch-dwelling outdoor plants entails finding them indoor accommodation for the season. 

(click through this thumbnail for higher resolution image)

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this hybrid fuchsia caught some late afternoon light through its leaves before getting hustled inside, revealing patterns of shadow and of structural detail.  the hummbirds these trumpet blossoms are meant to attract are far out of range; by now they will be fixing to fly across the Caribbean.  when they come back next spring these bright colours and tiny doses of high energy nectar will be back outside waiting for them.