Wednesday 26 February 2014

Meanwhile in the greenhouse .....


                                  Schlumbergera x bucklyi Charles Lemaire

                                          The star of the show today !

  It is a miracle that my little 8ft x 10ft unheated greenhouse , with the dirty windows , hasn,t been smashed in the recent storms ...... There is some water coming in somewhere from along the roof , but it's not too bad . We haven't had a real freeze yet , but I throw sheets of newspaper over everything if the weather forecast is more seriously cold .
 I have hung silver insulation stuff that comes on a roll from B and  Q , across the rafters for a little insulation . It has got us through the last two very cold winters. Today the sun shone for most of the day and I had to open the the top windows. Ventilation is so important to keep the bugs at bay ...also it can get too hot in there and then the temperature drops  dramatically if the sun goes behind a cloud, at this time of the year it is a job keeping an eye on it really  ....I  have quite a collection of cacti, and epiphyllums, but during this time of the year , everything gets crammed in there to over winter. Right now I am starting off leeks and onions...and various flower seeds. Cuttings of fucshias and pelargoniums and herbs. Two Soap nut tree saplings . Agaves , Gasterias ( I have a real thing for Gasterias ! lol ! ) All these things like different temperatures and varying amounts of light levels too , hence I have put up shade net over the Epiphyllums, those Gasterias like to be right under the bench. .the dirty windows modify the brightest sun so nothing gets scorched . ( my excuse anyway ! ) The sun loving cacti go nearest the South facing side .
 Tomatoes....are a blooming nuisance because they like a much higher level of humidity  too...help ....maybe I wont grow tomatoes this year. I need another greenhouse ..or three would be good : )


Here's a jumbly photo of around my greenhouse , you can zoom in on and look around.
It is blowing a gale outside again as I write ...and I think we have another three days of stormy weather coming in ... again .
So what happens if the greenhouse begins to collapse ?  Answer.. The plants , cacti , tree saplings epiphyllums ,Agaves, hollyhocks , leeks and onion seedlings will all have to come indoors ...somehow .... next thought .....spiders  !    eek !
  My heart goes out to all those of you who are really suffering in these storms with the misery of flooding ... you are in my prayers . x

1 comment:

  1. Gasterias..they are something...so architectural, love the shapes and patterns.

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