Portable Greenhouse

Thanks Margie! I've had a lot of fun with it. It even looks different now -- most of the plants in front are as tall or taller than the GH...

Gretchen... I have decided to go ahed and to get a portable greenhouse, as I don't want to spend the money for a large one...I am thinking of the hex, it's 10x11'....only $30. more than the one you have. See anything against it?
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/portable-3.shtml
Margie

Congrats, Margie!

Yes, Margie -- don't get it. I was interested in it when I bought mine (from this company, and they are awesome!) If memory serves me correctly, it doesn't have the same ventilation as the dome and you will need ventilation, believe me. Especially in your zone, where you'll have warm days and cool nights, like I have. They may have changed it since I purchased mine, but look into that first, and if it doesn't have vents (up and down) on opposite sides, opt for something else....

This evening (after mega deer damage this week):

Gretchen...so glad I asked you! and didn't run ahead and order it!!! Do you mean that it should be vented on the both sides without the door? I don't think it has that. It says that it has 5 vents at the roof line....

I hope you can see it on the photo...the dotted lines on the photo on the right! What do you think of that?

Margie: When I talked with the people at ACF last year, they indicated that the hex did not have any cross ventilation. I think that the screen roof is a liablility. The only time you would have it open in the winter is during the day. While it will let heat escape, its not going to provide any cross ventilation, AND its going to permit more sun (UV) on your plants. In the Spring, when you open the vents permanently, your plants will not have any protection from full sun... I was just afraid that I'd fry my babies. I have to add in case I haven't in this thread (I have somewhere, but I know not where...) The door zipper broke last Spring. I called ACF, and within one week the replacement cover had arrived, no questions asked. Like I said, they are an awesome company to do business with! Gretchen

Thanks for coming back to this question, Gretchen. I have been checking....it sounds like the one like yours is the way to go!
Please check out my other post also...it looks too flimsey to me....but with alot of ventilation....what do you think?

Sorry Margie, I missed the earlier one... That looks pretty good to me. Its wider than mine -- a real plus! Mine is too narrow. Not as much headroom, but do you need it? I like the fact that you can zip and extension to it if you wanted to expand. (They are never big enough LOL) My biggest question would be how easy it is to secure the doorway from the inside on a cold, windy or rainy night? You don't want to be fighting ties in adverse weather. Hope this is helpful :) Gretchen

Gretchen...I wrote to them and asked them which would be sturdier...that is my biggest concern, especially in the wind. As I looked, it seems like the dreamhouse does have a zippered doorway, too. And really I don't know how much I would be using it in bad weather. We don't really even get that much rain, where I am.
Thanks so much for all of your input on this! Margie

You're welcome! Since wind is a concern, I will tell you that this thing of mine has survived extreme Texas wind, probably in the area of 30 - 40 mph! I have it well anchored, but there have been a few times I thought I'd see it in the next county, but ended up having no problem! Good luck with whichever one you end up with! You'll love it!!!

I just went thru you posts and am REALLY impressed with your work! The stone-lined paths and granite walks are SO pretty. Your house looks like something from New England (where I am - Rhode Island, "The Joke State"). I envy you people in the South who can erect plastic GHs and don't have to worry about heating them in the winter. What state are you in -- Zone 8b is around Georgia, isn't it? You must be so pleased with the results of your efforts! (and that bench is a work of art: I'm waiting for a friend of my husband's to make me mesh-topped benches for my new GH, just erected this weekend. My husband doesn't work with wood -- just electronics.)

- Kathleen

Kathleen -- don't know how I missed your post. The system never notified me of it...so sorry! Thank you for your kind comments. I'm in the Texas Hill Country. And, it does have to be heated to maintain my collection of tropicals, but it only costs us about $30 per month to do it... Good luck with your bench -- it was actually not too hard, and I've never built anything before :) Gretchen

Gretchen: My husband's friend delivered the benches the other day, and I was a little disappointed. I should have impressed my husband with the fact that the hardware cloth for the top needed to be HEAVY gauge -- the stuff he got is a little flimsy, and the plants seems to want to topple over on me. Still, why look a gift horse in the mouth?I'll find a way to keep everything upright until the mesh has to be replaced (I'm guessing it must rust-out at some point, right?).

- Kathleen

Hey Kathleen, something I have seen used before to add stability: Sheep or goat fence panels. They are really strong, and you could lie one across the top, wouldn't even have to be anchored. Another thing that I've seen used in a local commercial greenhouse is corrugated tin. Well, regardless, I'm glad you got them, and hope you enjoy! Gretchen

What a good idea! - you ARE a smarty-pants! Thank you! Am I wrong to assume that goat/sheep fence panels are something like snow fencing?

I'm not sure, but I think snow fencing is flexible. This is a rigid material similar to hardware cloth, which would also work... It looks live a woven wire fence. You will need to go to a place that sells either fence or livestock supplies. Hope you can make it work :)

Its that time of year again. Early this year though...It was 47 outside when I awakened this morning, and was very happy that I had put most everything in here and turned on the heat. Nice and toasty 70 in here, according to my remote thermometer :)

I still have some more brugs and a few tropicals to squeeze in before it gets much colder. Then in the Spring all my brug seedlings will have to find their place...

Where oh where will they go???

Gretchen....looks like you packed it full ! I am starting to worry about not having enough room for mine....after seeing how quickly you filled yours.

We have been having a heat spell....in the high 80's...

My max high inside with the vents closed has been recorded at 121. F....Inside and outside 45 F over-night. My brugs look OK outdoors though. Some buds.
I am afraid that they will roast if I put them in !! Keeping the vents open will reduce the temperature a little.

Margie

Oh yes Margie, they would definitely cook in that temperature! It was in the 80's here today, but we always have a nice breeze, and mine is positioned to take advantage of that, so with the vents and the door open, its fine. I have to do that throughout the entire winter here. We have many, many warm days with nights around freezing. Its small, but last year I started 32 flats of assorted seeds and cuttings, PLUS 120 brug seeds, PLUS 35 brug cuttings in here. I also overwintered my tropicals and Christmas Cactus collection. You'll get more in it than you thought possible LOL! I do want a larger one, so that I could have a little more room to move around, but alas its not high on the list of priorities of DH...and I want auto vents! That's the worst part -- having to open them when it gets warm and close them in the evening. You can't go out of town even for a weekend... but its worth it in the long run :)

Bloomin' today:

Angel Wing Begonias:

And their blooms

WOW, your pictures are so crisp and up close and personal!

Thanks, Kell! You are really going to love your new Olympus!

Gretchen....I really love the depth that your photos are showing with your new camera....maybe the apeture priority setting you are using is doing that! I am going to try using it...I know it made a big difference in my 35mm when I used it for greater depth of field! Maybe it is that rather than me needing a new camera!! I hope, I hope!!

Yes, Margie, that's exactly what's doing it. Its on f2.8. That was something on the old camera that I didn't like. The depth of field was too great (clear) for close-up photography. I like the background to be completely out of focus on close-ups and portrait type photos, and this one affords that. Really improves the overall quality of the pix!

Thanks Gretchen...I am going to play around with that, plus use my tripod more! That is really supposed to make a difference on the movement also....So glad to see your photos and realize that something is wrong with mine!

making room for 150 bruglings in 4" pots that'll be moved out here tomorrow...

Just about filled to the brim with baby bruglings, cuttings and some tropicals:

The other side:

The newest bruglings:

My first Hoya blooms:

WOW......give me a bib I am drooling !! How wonderful and healthy looking your plants are. My greenhouse arrives today and there is a fresh foot of snow right where it is to sit. ENJOY your bruglings, I enjoy your pictures.
--Joy

Bless you, Joy! Thanks so much for your lovely comments! I have some pretty holey leaves right now, as I've been battling slugs all winter, but they'll all be outside soon...

Good luck with your new house! What kind did you buy? And, I hope the snow is gone soon!!! That's one thing I certainly don't miss, living in South Texas.

I hope you have a lovely, blessed day!

So fresh and green Gretchen....I just took most of my larger plants out of my little GH this week-end. They were being attached not only by snails, but also fungus gnats, white flies, aphids and mites.... everyone was having a ball. I think the close quarters didn't help.

I never saw a hoya bloom before....very different and lovely!

Margie

Thanks Margie -- you are too kind! I have snails and slugs that are literally eating my brugs out of house and home! I think those are buds on the hoya that will open up. Can't wait to see it then. I'm not much of a hoya fan, but this was a gift from DH's auntie last year, and I'm thrilled to see it happy!

Gretchen my house is from FarmTec and it is roughly 12' x 9' . My problem is that we live on a narrow steep road and a semi cannot come down it. Hopefully it will be delivered to a nearby Mennonite business and they will call me and then we can go pick it up. Oh, the things we will do when we are drunk with spring fever.

Your hoya is great. We had one that was about 25 years old and lost it to lack of water ( who me?) and white flies. We always called it a Jesus tears because when the blossoms mature a drop of water will come off them like a tear...blessings back to you.

Joy -- Oh how fun! You will have a wonderful time in your GH! I hope you can get it to your place without too much hassle!!! I need a bigger one desperately, and DH keeps promising, but nothing yet... I'm excited to see the hoya open up! What a wonderful thing to call it -- Jesus' tears. I won't soon forget that name! Thank you!