Friday, March 27, 2009

My Little Greenhouse

I have wanted a greenhouse for years, but there is always something that is needed more to spend our money on. Maybe some day I will get a full size greenhouse, but for now I make do with a tiny portable one. It is easily put together when I need it and can just as easily be taken apart to store over the winter, taking up very little space in my shed. When I want to start my seedlings early, I get it out and put it together and am ready to fill it up with my trays of newly planted seeds and even some small pots. For the space it requires it can hold a surprising amount of plants. I put a 2 foot fluorescent light fixture with a grow light bulb across the top and rotate the plants when they need sun, but mother nature doesn't provide it. I also use it to protect bedding plants waiting to be worked into the gardens. When it's too cold for the plants outside, I bring it in, it's very light weight. It is perfect as protection against my plant eating cats too. When it is outside I tie it to the porch rails so a strong wind won't dump it over or carry it away. If it doesn't have many plants in it yet I usually put a stepping stone on the bottom rack to weigh it down. I live in what is known as tornado alley so we get a lot of strong wind, You learn to prevent things from flying away in advance.

So far my plants are barely coming up, and I haven't purchased any bedding plants yet. The weather has been so unpredictable that most of the places I buy plants from haven't even started selling garden plants yet. In fact the weather man said on the news last night that we may be getting some snow before the weekend is over, GREAT!!! Just what we need. It's not unheard of to get snow here in March, but snow in April is kind of rare.


The plants in this piture were given to me, One looks like a geranium of some sort, and the other one ? it kind of looks like a jade plant? The kids at the school greenhouse were growing perenials and the tags got lost, so I guess I'll have to plant it and find out. The sprouting bulbs are my Calla lilies I have to wait until the danger of frost is over to plant them, I don't think they can wait much longer. Do you?
I hate to wait to put out my garden decorations and lawn furniture but I guess I'd better. I do have some out that should be o.k. if the temps don't drop drastically. I guess I had better watch the weather report very close. I may have to cover some perennials that have started up. Spring??? YEAH RIGHT!!

birdlady

1 comment:

tina said...

You are very smart to wait a bit on the weather. I like your greenhouse-perfect for holding over plants and like you said, against plant eating cats. Happy gardening this weekend!