hibiscus and rosemary in january...in iowa?

Have I told you how much I love and appreciate my Soul Mate? Each spring he transforms our deck into this beautiful oasis that only gets better in the summer and fall. I'm sure you will get to see it if I make it that far into this project!! We always have colorful pots full of fantastic flowers, vegetables and herbs. Then in the fall, as the falling temperatures threaten our summer sanctuary, he brings them all in at night to protect them, and then takes them back out in the morning so they can enjoy the warmer temperatures during the day. He does this for days; weeks even. Then finally, he brings what he can in for the winter. Some of them survive and some, alas, we are forced to say goodbye to, but not from lack of trying. It's totally worth it, though. Tonight, at 10:15, after a long, busy day and evening, I shot this picture of a winter bloom from our hibiscus plant (it's really more of a tree). Next to it you can see our aromatic rosemary -- I wish you could smell it. As I was plugging my camera into my computer I noticed that I could smell rosemary on my fingers from touching it as I was trying to get this shot! Yum!