Ice patterns, Dec. 11 (photo: Richard Lansdowne)Richard found these ice patterns on one of our cold frames when he went out to get wood early one morning. No matter how much science has explicated their formation, finding the image of a branching tree suddenly appearing on an ordinary piece of glass is wondrous. We spent a fair amount of time admiring it.
Equally amazing is the survival -- and even growth -- of green plants, protected only by a slim sheet of plastic, while temperatures have regularly gone into the teens and even single digits at night. A single day of sun two weeks ago, and they perked right up.
The view inside the hoop house, Dec. 11. 
Close up of the arugula, one of the most cold hardy salad greens. Excellent in stir fries, too.
