A few of you may remember the sunroom I made into a mini greenhouse last Spring for my seedlings.
I'd mentioned about what I should do with my Brugs this winter, and a couple of people suggested that sunroom. I wrote back saying I thought it would be too cold during the winter.
Well......... I have it alot of thought. My neighbor Dee across the street offered to store them in their warehouse, that has south facing windows, but would be unheated during this winter. Well, then I'd have to go back and forth to check on them.
And if that was unheated, that would be even worse than my sunroom. My sunroom is attached with a door to my bedroom, so if it got "too" cold in there, I could always bring them in there, right? Our bedroom is fairly large, we live in a 1904 home, not 1970.
So I made room up there today, and bless Russ's heart, he carried them up the stairs for me.
I'm keeping the window open for now, since it's not that terribly cold yet, and I want to help prevent climate shock. They will practically feel like they are on my porch where they were before, and I will slowly wean them to warmer evenings again, but it will always be sort of cold up there.
I plan on putting some heavy plastic over the windows in that room for the winter, and if anyone has any handy tips on how to do that without ruining the woodwork, please let me know.
Babes are inside, with buds, and if I get lucky and see some blooms, I'll let you know!
Karrie
Using the Sunroom!
I just walked in there to check on the temp - 46 degrees, steady, and did it smell good in there from the bloom.
We got back from the lake yesterday.
All the Brugs up there are doing fine. It really helped reduce the climate shock by putting them up there. The Isabella X is about to show her 2nd blossom, and the Suave X is almost there with many at once. No leaves were shed, and they've been up there for 3 days now. The two I brought into the downstairs of the house, where it is warmer, and less sun shed all their leaves within 36 hours.
Sounds like you did a great job bringing them in Karrie!
Just in time - we had frost last night. But I thank Russ - he carried them to their new, temporary home. As winter approaches, it will be too cold in there at night. I have a thermometer in there that I will be checking before I go to bed and early when I get up, to monitor them.
Here's some pics
Here's another of the Suave X I called Karyn Riggs.
Looks nice in there. Bet the brugs will love it this winter.
I need to get some of that thick clear plastic people use as storm windows and put in there. Do you know where I'd get something like that? The rest of the house has regular storm windows, but that room doesn't have anything and gets very very cold in the winter. I think I could leave them there all winter long if I insulated those windows with something. Home Depot?
p.s. it's 75 degrees in there right now - warmest room in the house, lol! (it's also daytime and the sun is out).
That is where I'd look for it, but if that room is really cold, I think I would do all the outside walls too. It would help a lot.
Lovely - I think that would be a Russ job - it's way up there and would take an extension ladder. But while he's up there, maybe I could talk him into putting up a long window box to put flowers in next year - it would add alot of character to the house (I've been trying to talk him into that, and he doesn't like the idea).
Can't you put the plastic on the inside of the windows instead of outside? Sure would be easier. Just an idea anyway.
Rolls of clear 'Visqueen' can be gotten at Lowes or HomeDepot....works great.
Suav x sure didnt get mommas tendrils! Its a neat idea Karrie.
Karrie, you can get plastic stuff cut to size in Lowes, they have a special department and they will drill holes in it to, so all you have to do is put them on what ever it is that you are insulating. They also have lots of sheets of stuff for insulation, all kind of stuff, including those electric radiator heating units with thermostat, for something like fifty bucks. I'm thinking that might not heat my greenhouse warm enough, maybe I can start with one and buy a second one later, if needed...course everyone in south Arky will be sold out if I need two...
Karrie put the plastic on the inside, and use masking tape to hold it in place, easy to remove without taking off the paint, I think the kind walmart sells for covering windows would work
Actually, I plan on fixing the room up next Spring! I plan on re-painting it white with some type of colored trim, putting in some doll-house type curtains, and making it "pretty" - as right now the only thing that makes it pretty are the flowers that grow there, lol!
I didn't think masking tape would hold the heavy plastic. Maybe a heavy duty masking tape?
I'm getting all sorts of neat ideas going through my head for decorating it next year.
So "Suave" has long tendrils?
Is PB (thanks BarbW!!) a Suave??? She had just opened when I took this, and her tendrils are a bit wrinkled. She has oh so many more buds, and she smells so good I cannot stand it!!! The ugly leaves, unfortunately, are lucky to be there at all, we had yet another storm last night...I wish my photos did her justice - wish I had the photo talent of Monika, Kell, Gretchen, Margie, the list goes on and on...
I think she is considered a multihybrid with a lot of aurea genes in her. Suaveolens blooms have short tendrils.
LOL! Brugie, if PB has short tendrils, the majority, maybe all of my others, are tendril-less, whew!!! PB is, thus far, the best all round, imported, brug in my garden - she is so easy, LOVES the heat, humidity, with the off and on care she has received. The bugs have not bothered her either and she smells so good, I'd love to dip a blossom into chocolate and have a bite...yes, I know that wouldn't be a good idea...
LOL Sherry, we would be picking you up off the ground real quick, probably. I'm not one to snub any pretty brug and I think that suaveolens have a place in our yards too. It's just that when one decides to hybridize, you want to remove all chances of having those gene's in the new hybrids and up here with all the bees, it means keeping them out of my yard so they won't be used to cross some of my better plants. I personally like long tendrils the best, but I did have a suave in the front of my house this year because it was a good bloomer and a nice subject for people to see as they drove by. I wasn't saying that PB has short tendrils, I was saying that suaveolens blooms do have short tendrils. Do I have you totally confused yet? I'm good at doing that. LOL!
Here are the latest pics (actually taken on Halloween - I've been pre-occupied).
Here's a single of Isabella X
She sure smelled wonderful!
Here's a single of Suave X (aka Karyn Riggs, lol)
Here's all of Sauve X blooming simultaneously.
Had I not brought these into that sunroom, I would never have seen these beautiful and fragrant blooms. Too bad that room only has room for 3 or 4 trees. I will have to figure out something else for next winter.
Karrie, they are beautiful, so pretty, so healthy, I cannot believe you are doing all that inside, wow!!!
Way to go, Karrie! Your Sauve X is a blooming beauty!! Love those looong tendrils, too!
Don't forget that these are their fall colors, but wait until next year when you can put them outside once again. Their color may intensify and surprise you.
Sounds like you're well on your way to being addicted to Brugs! Welcome to the club!! :~)