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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, March 12, 2015

A Peek Inside The Greenhouse

Having a greenhouse is a wonderful thing and I'm delighted with mine.  However, I've been playing in there so much that the garden is screaming at me to do some outdoor gardening.  Here's a glimpse inside the greenhouse.  Please ignore the potting soil on everything!


You may remember this corner and my comment about the insulation.  Jean (Dotty Plants Greenhouse Journal) stated the obvious and advised me to cover it up and made a list of possible materials.  I had been so focused on either leaving it or using wall board that I'd not though any further.

The suggestion I liked best (because I already had some lying around) was bamboo or reed screen.  Looks a hundred times better and only took a few minutes with a pair of scissors and a staple gun.  Bless your heart Jean!

Here's a view  of this area a couple of months ago.  Jean advised thinking vertically so I stood up.  Seriously, though, I'd been thinking about attaching shelves to the wall. 

Lots of options but I decided to go with more chrome shelves because they're relatively inexpensive, allow good airflow, can be easily put together, taken apart, and reconfigured.  I love the extra space!  Because the plants require a lot of space, all of the shelves weren't needed so I used them on top of some of the chimney liners that used to have planks on top of them. 





 There are four folding banquet tables in the middle.  I'm thinking of getting a couple more shelves and getting rid of a couple of the tables.  There are some really tall plants that will want a lot of headroom so two tables will stay but the shelves are half the width of the tables so there'd be even more space.  I may want to live out here this summer.

Scadoxis puniceus purchased from Rare Plant Research at the Portland Yard, Garden, and Patio Show is pushing up a flower bud or maybe even two!  How exciting is that?

That poor Agave striata sitting under the glass table is still waiting to be transplanted (since October!)

The work space decreases as various junk gets deposited upon it!

The Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum)  is still blooming around the back of the tables.  I never seem to get back there to take pictures - more tables, pots of dirt, cuttings, and the begonia experiment are back there. And more agaves that need to be potted up.

Here's how I feel when I'm in the greenhouse pottering. (Interestingly, this is exactly how I look with no hair.)  Hopefully there will be no great fall!

30 comments:

  1. Not a fall. Just a tremendous Spring, a great Summer and a wonderful Autumn.

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  2. Jean is a wise woman. Using the reed screen is a brilliant idea, so simple and looks fabulous. Your efforts at reorganizing have paid off well too, it looks great! Still drooling over your begonia luxurians, it is most definitely luxuriant.

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    1. Yes she is! Thanks. That begonia luxurians just keeps growing! I cut it back to a quarter of it's height most years and it comes back even stronger.

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  3. I'm glad you followed through with the shelvings and wall cover. They makes a huge difference and I'm a sucker for 'before and after' shots. I fully understand why you'd rather spend time in there instead of going outside. I find myself grinning with delight and it's not even my green house! Can't wait to see the bloom(s) on the Scadoxis puniceus.

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    1. Glad that you're enjoying the greenhouse as I definitely am! I also can't wait to see the bloom on Scadoxis puniceus! I saw some in bloom at Rare Plant Research last year but they were sold out. Glad they had some at the Portland Yard, Garden, and Patio show!

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  4. Your greenhouse is so fab that it's totally understandable why it's distracting you from doing work outside :)

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    1. Now the weather outside is so nice that the garden is calling!

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  5. I'd live in that greenhouse too!

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    1. It always smells so good, especially after I bring the hose inside and water everything.

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  6. Just keeps getting better and better.

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  7. Oh my goodness. Thank you for these continued glimpses into your amazing greenhouse. I am so jealous. If I lived in your area ... I'm warning you ... I would stop over and visit you ... many, many times. Love the Spanish Moss. Well, I love everything about your greenhouse!

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    1. Thank you for the kind words. If you're ever in the area, let me know and you can come over and visit as often as you'd like.

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  8. Hahaha, you've got such a genius sense of humor!! And you have a beautiful greenhouse!!! you´ve got all the interesting plants that I can think about :). I love all that spanish moss...the first time I´ve been able to grow it has been here in Peru, and only because I took a piece I found in the countryside (I haven´t seen them for sale here, I guess as they have so many in nature it seems as if they don´t think it is interesting

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post! Spanish moss is a bit expensive here but I got several pounds of it from a person in Florida where it happily grows on the trees. Found it on ebay and the price was amazingly low.

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  9. Your greenhouse is the most amazing space with such a variety of plants and objet d'art, I understand totally why you would wish to be in there rather than out in the garden!

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    1. Now that the weather is getting so nice outside, I'll enjoy being in the garden as well. The greenhouse will simply be another room in the garden.

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  10. Your greenhouse is spectacular. So many plants! If I had that, I do't know if I'd ever leave. I love how you have Spanish moss everywhere.

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    1. I was lucky to find an inexpensive way of getting Spanish moss from an ebay seller who lives in Florida. Glad you like my greenhouse; it's been a life-long dream to have one and I feel so lucky to have it. Come visit!

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  11. I was laughing at the fact you were worried about potting up a tiny Agave striata while not even mentioning that AMAZING begonia right next to it. That thing is bigger than my car!

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    1. I wish I could take credit for the size of the begonia but it just keeps growing even though it hasn't been potted up in three years, gets cut off all the time, often wilts because I forget to water it, and when it spent the winter at school, got all kinds of pest infestations.

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  12. It looks so great Peter. Good move "thinking vertically", those shelves give you so much more usable space.

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    1. Thanks, Amy! There will be more shelving on the other side soon. This fall, when the green house was completed, I was in a hurry to get everything inside before the frost came so just threw everything in.

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  13. Your greenhouse is looking wonderful! And such cool plants.

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  14. Your greenhouse looks like a nursery and I suppose it is--only the plants aren't for sale. I am so envious. What a fun place to putter.

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    1. A greenhouse could be your next garden project! It's so great to be out there when the rain is falling and making music on the roof. It always smells like spring and summer inside!

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  15. Oh, I love it! I could spend hours in there. Thank you for the tour.

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  16. Can't believe how many plants you've tucked away in there! Great idea on the walls. I like bamboo screening too.

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