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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

A Peek Inside The Greenhouse

Not yet hung, this gift of my teaching partner (AKA my work wife) makes me smile.



These red ceramic pots/soil/bulbs were a steal at 2.99 at an after Christmas sale. More Paperwhites and another Hippeastrum (Amaryllis.) The Amaryllis got a different pot as these don't have drainage holes.

The giant Begonia luxurians continues to bloom.  I'm just happy that I haven't killed anything yet. 

From Bedrock.  I've loved these little guys sitting in a circle since I saw Sylvia at Dig Nursery arrange them this way.

The great advantage of having paperwhites in the gently heated greenhouse is that they bloom for a lot longer than they would inside. These have been blooming for a month now.  The drawback is that the fragrance isn't as strong in the cooler environment.

Next year I'll do a better job of segregating plants by their water needs. but It's kind of fun to have them a bit mixed up.

The plants seem pretty happy and I've seen only one little group of spider mites on a brugmansia that quickly got sprayed with water followed up with neem oil later in the week; they seem to be gone.  This is such a fun way to store tender plants for the winter - much easier than having them stowed all over the house!  How are your indoor/outdoor plants doing?

26 comments:

  1. Your greenhouse looks such a fun place to spend time in!

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    1. I don't spend time sitting there even though there's space. Mostly, like in the garden, when I'm there, I see things that need to be done and start puttering.

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  2. You are a 'next year' man, too. Every year is different.

    Thank you for the peek. You know I delight in looking inside greenhouses of others. I have little curiosity about someone's living quarters but I want to see every inch of their greenhouse.

    We had a low of 19ยบ last night. The greenhouse is warming quickly in the sun but outside is still too cold for the electric heat pump to take over from propane heat in our house. The entire southeast is gripped by cold. We anticipate and prepare for cold. I'm afraid north Florida and the Gulf Coast are suffering.

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    1. It's always fun to think of what next year will bring.
      Like you, I love peeking inside other people's greenhouses!.
      Sorry about your cold! Yikes, that'll take out some of your in ground plants won't it? Hurry spring!

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  3. You have an indoor jungle! It never occurred to me to segregate by water needs. Even in my small space, having some plants that need water pushed to the back of others makes watering difficult. I'll do that next winter too. I cut my Begonia luxurians back hard because it was looking so pitiful, and it has started producing some new foliage. I hope it rebounds.

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    1. It is pretty jungley in there. This year, because the greenhouse got done so close to migration time, I just threw everything in willy nilly. When I take the hose in with the spray wand, it's a bit easier to water the things in the back than when I'm just hauling jugs of rain water in.

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  4. I don't move plants indoors - and the outdoor plants either come back or get replaced....someday I will have those that I move in and out....but not yet. Loving the greenhouse!

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    1. You are a wise woman! For a long time I've thought that I should cut down or eliminate the migratory plants but then along comes a greenhouse and makes the migration easier. There are so many great plants that are perfectly hardy here that it seems kind of silly to drag plants back and forth each year. The nurseries tempt us with so much beautiful foliage!

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  5. Because my SP greenhouse lacks the space of your (fabulous) garage greenhouse I have to arrange things by water needs. The agaves and other no water plants go at the far end and the ones that I need to keep an eye on closer to the door. It's nearing the time when I'll go out there and do the once a season check up (things get moved so I can make it to the back and have an up close look at everyone) and give the dry things a tiny drink.

    I dug the Begonia luxurians you gave me and have been over-wintering them in the basement, so far so good!

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    1. You have a great irrigation strategy for the S.P. greenhouse!
      It's hard to kill a Begonia luxurians but if you do, I'll have lots more cuttings!

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  6. My indoor basement/garage plants are just happy to not be dealing with the 0ยบF temps. I don't show them photos of your greenhouse because they would certainly rebel in pokey ways.

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    1. That zero degrees F thing is simply unacceptable and you should let the weather people know that so they can do something about it! Your plants are lucky to be insulated from that extreme cold! It's probably best not to tell them that we're experiencing fairly warm temperatures for this time of the year (50's) as they might try to book a flight to the PNW.

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  7. Very cute sign from your colleague. Your plant arrangement turned out to be artful if not practical. We have been cold, I haven't checked those plants stashed in our garage yet.

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    1. Sorry that you're weather has been so cold; I would certainly lodge a complaint with the weather bureau! Your garage protected are probably doing very well!

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  8. Thanks for the inside look at your fabulous greenhouse! No indoor/outdoor plants here (although that doesn't stop me from wanting a greenhouse of my own).

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    1. My greenhouse is heated to your cold winter temps (50ish) so everything in there could be grown in the ground where you live. In your climate, you could have a marvelous tropical greenhouse! Keeping it from overheating in your summer heat would be a challenge.

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  9. That lesser scent from the paperweights would actually be an advantage to many of us. Do you flinch at the idea of drilling holes in pots like I do? Loree seems to do it successfully all the time.

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    1. In the cool greenhouse, you have to put your nose right above the paperwhites to smell them. I wouldn't mind drilling holes in pots but I use those diamond coated drill bits for drilling glass and hate to think of them getting dull drilling pots. I have a cool hammer drill that I use for drilling holes in concrete and large pots.

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  10. Your greenhouse looks so inviting! I have a gently heated sunroom with similar functionality. Today it didn't get very warm, but most days the sun keeps the temperatures relatively mild during the day. Enjoy the beautiful blooms!

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    1. It is very special to have a place to enjoy foliage and maybe even flowers during the winter months.

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  11. Dear Mr. TOG : )
    I also love that circle of little smiling Buddhas .. too cute !
    You are so lucky to have a green house like that ... all those plants are lucky to have YOU to look after them too. I would love to have some house plants .. but scented ones for Spring makes my poor hubby sneeze so I have to avoid them .. I swear I have a black thumb when it comes to house plants ... BIG sigh ! I just have to admire everyone else's !
    Joy : )

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    1. I've killed my share of houseplants but in a greenhouse where you can be sloppy with the hose and not worry about water going all over the floor, it's much easier to keep plants watered. Plus, it's fun to spray the leaves off as well. We're lucky here because often in the winter, we only have to heat the greenhouse a few degrees to keep it around 50 degrees F. To heat a greenhouse in the winter where you live would probably be quite expensive.

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  12. I love that next to last photo. Your greenhouse looks beautifully exotic!

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    1. Thanks, Linda! There are certainly a lot of fun plants in there!

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  13. All real gardeners love nosing in other peoples' greenhouses. Yours is full of interest. I love the jungly effect of so many plants massed together.. The Begonia luxurians is beautiful. I haven' t come across this one before.

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    1. I always learn something by looking inside others people's greenhouses! Begonia luxurians is a wonderful plant, a cane-type begonia with great foliage and very easy to please.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.