A Ceramic Sprout Marker

From the broom handle, I climbed up onto the wide wooden shelf. The weathered planks felt dry and splintery beneath my feet. Right between two stacked terra-cotta saucers stood a slender ceramic plant label, stuck into a pile of dry peat. I paused... dipping my antennae toward the white glazed surface. Painted across the top was a tiny green carrot sprig, faintly cracked with age. With slow, patient steps, I reached out my plush front paws and nudged the top of the stake. It tilted with a soft scrape against the pottery, leaning securely into the hollow rim.