Gardens and Nature: 2011

My husband has given me the greatest gift of all for my 50th birthday....a greenhouse. I must also give credit to Jocko, who helped Kevin with most of the setup and installation. I have always dreamed about a greenhouse and growing all kinds of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Now, my dream has come true. Thank you Chateau Family!

Jocko on the left and Kevin on the right.

Down to the nitty gritty: We bought a Harbor Freight design that is 10' by 12'. Kevin watched the adds for months and when a coupon appeared this fall, he booked down to Harbor Freight in Ocala, bought it, and hauled it home. The greenhouse came in a kit in a million pieces. This is an exaggeration, but that is what it looked like to me, a huge box of clear plastic panels, metal strips, and screws. I can not even imagine the ordeal that it must have been to put this thing together. It took both of them about 3 or 4 days, working many hours a day, to get it built. Before they even started, they had to dig out a foundation. The whole foundation is 12' by 14' by 1/2'. Then they layed down a thick black mulch material and shoveled white limestone gravel over the foundation to create the floor of the greenhouse. At this point, the meticulous and arduous task of building the greenhouse began. I heard it nearly drove them both crazy putting it together. I did not see the building take place, as they worked on it after I went to work each day. Once the foundation and greenhouse were completed, Kevin built custom tables out of pressure treated wood that are just my height. It is very comfortable for me. He also installed plumbing, a sink, and electricity inside the structure. We actually have the greenhouse on its own electric and well, next to the old shack, so we can keep these utilities separate from the two residences on the property.

custom tables built for my height

The greenhouse plot is actually built on the half acre adjacent to our home where the sun comes through the trees for about 7 to 8 hours, making the ideal spot for a greenhouse and sunny garden. However, during the winter months, the sun moves too far south and is blocked by trees, creating a need for artificial lighting during the months of December and January. We use grow lights for 3 extra hours in order to give our little tomato and pepper crops the necessary light exposure necessary to produce. We'll see. Remember, this is an experiment.

Grow light tree for the tomatoes and peppers

Pink flowers are tropical impatiens growing in the greenhouse

Several generations before us actually gardened this half acre before we bought the property. We got to know two of the families, and I feel quite honored to continue the legacy of using this land to garden and appreciate the beauty of nature around us. The old shack next to the greenhouse is a testament to the prior families. We have a lot of history in the structure and in the old yard with it's old Florida plants and shrubs. I have kept a small portion of the old yard in tact, with the old varieties of lilies, ferns, rose bushes, agava, and many more plants I have yet to name. I just learned today that one of the lilies, the Flaming Lily, is very toxic.

Flaming Lily growing wild in the native area we don't mow

I do not plan to eat it, but it is good to know to be careful when handling it. We have a garden plot next to the green house, where I intend to grow early spring and late summer and fall vegetables. The soil here is fairly infertile and needs a lot of fertilizer and compost. I have also had problems with pests and blight, on the garden plot. I am hoping the greenhouse will enable us to avoid some of these problems. Maybe I am dreaming. We started composting over a year ago, using barrels with a manual rotation device. I have already repotted all my plants using topsoil, cow manure, and compost material.

Composting barrels next to garden plot (fall)

Kalanchoe I dug up to over winter in the greenhouse

Tomato seedlings started in early October to grow in the greenhouse

Cilantro seedlings

I love to garden. I do not remember a time in my life when I wasn't growing things. My mother taught me how to grow things as a child and have always had houseplants and gardens in my life. When I first carted myself off to college I had several houseplants living in the apartment window. My mother was a veteran organic gardener, and I can remember learning how to make her special potting soil by the time I was 10 years old. This knowledge has gone with me everywhere and I am just now starting to perfect it again, in the Florida environment. These days, bedding plants are very expensive. I've always known that if I could start seeds or propagate my favorite plants in a greenhouse in late winter, not only would I get tremendous joy....it is a Zen thing with me, but I could ultimately save a ton of money every year. Of course, we have about $1000 in the greenhouse already, but I can easily spend that just on bedding plants in one spring. So, not only am I providing myself with a wonderful stress relief on the weekends, but eventually I will save a bunch of money every spring. The yard around our home is very shady being surrounded by oak trees. I have traditionally grown a lot of Impatiens, Caladiums, ferns, with a few coontie, sago palms, azaela's in the shade, and Geraniums and daisies (in the sunny spots). I have already discovered that Impatiens are very easy to propagate and grow from seed, so I will start growing these in the winter for the yard.

My succulent collection, each one started from one plant

Right now, the greenhouse is providing me a place to grow all my favorite flowers. I am crazy about Daturas and Brugmansias and have seeds planted, with one new Datura seedling so far. I have brought in many cuttings of my favorite outside yard plants to winter them over in the greenhouse. I will plant them back in the yard once the frosts pass. We are also trying to grow tomatoes and peppers, as well as several varieties of flowers by seed. In January the real work begins. At this time, I will start all the vegetables that we will grow in the spring garden.
I will keep you posted.