My wife Cheryl practices something she calls edible landscaping. Accordingly we have three citrus trees that – normally – live on our deck.

A lopsided variegated lemon that produces yellow-and-green striped fruit that’s pink inside!

A squat key lime that contributed its miniscule-but-tasty harvest to a recent and memorable pie.

A top-heavy calamondin about which Cheryl’s Chinese friend says the abundance of its tiny orange fruit betokens imminent prosperity.

During Atlanta’s “winters” we stay alert for freeze forecasts so we can bring our trio of trees inside for the night. Lately we’ve been having awesomely lovely afternoons in the fifties – interspersed with morning lows at or below freezing. So in and out they go. I call it the “plant dance.”

Currently we’re using the garage as our “orangerie” and I just tucked the little trees in for the night.

“Whoa!” exclaimed the Lemon. “Who turned off the lights?”

“Back in the garage – again?” the Lime complained.

Calamondin just stood there quivering ever so slightly – relieved to have not fallen over yet again on the steep driveway. “W-w-w-when will it be over?” he seemed to ask.

“I know your frustration.” I reassured them. “Overnight low is forecast to be 32°. You would not be happy in the driveway at 5:30 tomorrow morning. We only do this because we love you so much.”

They seemed to be looking at me – half doubtful, half grateful – their tiny spring blossoms shivering in the gathering chill.

“It looks like tomorrow we can move you back to the deck for a long time.” I encouraged. “Maybe it’s finally spring!”

The prophet Isaiah wrote …

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12)

As I closed the garage door for the night I believe I heard the rustling whisper of a leafy ovation.