Correctomundo, Paul W. Right off the bat, darn it. Retractable (woven) roof; designed to accommodate a bit of snow, but you don’t want to leave it in place for any more than that. This was at the Merrifield Garden Center in Alexandria. Winter of 2011. I was there speaking to the fabulous Fairfax Master Gardeners and trainees (SandyG, I swear you were there).
The snow cover just seemed kind of odd/neat, because the roof was closed back up by the time I walked in.
I wasn’t there, Holly, but would love to know if any of the tender plants survived the dose of cold. I still expect to hear that there is a tomato that can grow in winter weather. Take a bit of this gene and dash of that gene and mix well. Voila! Frosty the GMO Mater! I won’t be happy, but it’s a conceivable step in our high tech agriculture. (If I ever make it to another one of your talks, I’ll be sure to introduce myself. I’ve heard you speak a couple of times and it is quite a treat!!!)