Walking into the basement is like taking a trip into spring

Since I’m frugal (okay, cheap), I bring a lot of annual plants inside for the winter.

They go to the basement where the old laundry room provides convenient water and floor drains.

But sometimes the plants aren’t the only things that come inside, so surprises can pop up at any point in the winter.
    Most of the nasty surprises involve insects, although once a confused squirrel had to be escorted outdoors.

I’ve had one aphid outbreak so far this year, but I spotted it early and hope I’ve nipped it in the bud with insecticidal soap.