My Dream Tropical Porch is starting to get there

I spend alot of my free time there, and it is a covered porch that get's southern sun. My Brugs did well there last year, so I decided to add a whole bunch of other stuff to it and try to make it prettier - dealing with what I have and can do. I wish these pics had been better - when walking through it it is much different. There are scattered Brugmansias, Gardenias, Cannas, Calas, a palm, and some herbs on the shelves. I've been thinking about this and planning it for months. I have to leave room as the plants start to grow, but hey - the part you are seeing is only half the porch. There's room for growth. (the otherside looking fairly empty).

Oops - you can see I jjust watered in that previous picture.

Really nice, Karrie - looks really comfy!

Here is a pic of creamsickle after transplanting her today.

And here is a pic of whiskers. He's been grumpy for days - not just after transplanting him. His leaves are kinda droopy. I hope is isn't going to die on me. He's one of my favs.

Oh YEAH! Hey Jeanette! Notice them Christmas Lights? lol!

What HAS happened to Spokane's South Hill? too funny.

This message was edited May 8, 2005 11:00 PM

Hey - that's my bed alot of the summer, hee hee. I have been known to sleep there on many occasions. I love it out there when the air is nice.

Looks so homey. I can imagine sleeping out there at night when the brugs are blooming with all their scent.

Yeah Karrie, noticed them first thing !!! LOL. I think that looks so relaxing. Super cool. Where are the grapes etc.?

I'll bet that is so nice in the summer. Now this is right off of your bedroom right? Very nice place for your plants. And you of course. Whiskers and Creamsickle both look like they just got new shoes and their toes aren't pinched.

Hope you had a nice Mom's day. Jeanette

What a delightful get-away you have created!!! I'm sure you will enjoy it all summer long.

Judy

It's too nice Karrie. I'd sit there sucking suds and eventing new ways of watering without getting out of the lounge chair. Maybe one of those big bazooka water guns loaded with blue water?

lol Blaine!

Jeanette - this isn't upstairs off our bedroom - this is outside, on the main floor. It's an exposed porch, unlike the sunporch upstairs, but it is very private. Noone ever sees you on it because of the big shrubs. And then when the plants get big it blocks about everything.

I'm thinking I need to add a little water fountain next (those little ones you plug in).

Very nice Karrie, your place is super and cozy, and your Creamsickle is to die for, man, I'm green with envy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very nice Karrie. I'd love to have a place where I could be outside, but yet, under cover when it storms or just drizzles. Your porch would be perfect. You've done a great job. Love the quilt, too.

That's an old quilt my grandmother made. It's been weathered by laundry over the years, but it's one of my favorites.

Jeanette - actually my sunporch is directly above this outdoor porch.

Looks really nice Karrie.
Just the place to sit down and have a Tall ice tea after a hard days work on a Hot summer evening in Spokane...

I am going through gallons of "sun tea" - that stuff you sit in the sun.

I don't think I'm the only one around here that drinks it. :-) But I'm with Blaine as well. I am known to indulge in a couple suds on that very lounger, in that very corner. Did it last year, "laid there, propped up" and fell asleep. Russ would come wake me up at about 6 or 7 when the birds were chirping.

But last year's experience was what gave me the idea for this porch. I'd been experimenting with Brugs and LOVED them. I knew then that I was limited in certain physical movements and lifts. Even though I'm feeling better; I need to be careful.

Thus this porch with my babies with me. Now who is the bigger baby?

I'm still cooking' and so are my brugs. :-)

p.s. If this is your first year handling Brugs - do yourself a favor. Don't drag a 5 ft. tall one in a huge container across the yard unless it's a hurricane or tornado.

Yep! I'm the baby! Actually I was just thinking about how good I feel now (and in shape) than I did almost a year ago. I don't want to blow it. I need to keep that in perspective.

Sorry you hurt yourself doing that. That is part of the reason I put my large brugs in the tubs. Sure makes it easier to drag them around.
I love Sun tea during the summer with lemons and my hammock to lounge in.. Oh I can't wait for warm weather now. You got me started...LOL

Karrie, get yourself a dolly, a small one is about all you need for brugs. Slide the dolly under the brug, then use a bungie cord and you are off. It's really easy on your back. I know because I used to nearly kill my back by moving stuff and the dolly has changed my gardening life. I haven't hurt my back in so long I cannot remember. Course I have a broken ankle so maybe I haven't noticed the back, lol, not true, neither my back or my ankle hurt, but I do wear myself out, but I love it and I do sleep well. Good luch!!!!

You know what? I've been thinking about getting a wagon, but we have a dolly in the garage! I'd forgotten all about it! Russ used it to get take out our old refrigerator not too long ago. You're right - with a bungie cord that would work! Thanks!

Or they could start making large containers with wheels. lol.

Wow,great looking spot you have there!

Now Root - you are the tropic person that gave me this inspiration I would hope you should know. I checked out your climate zone, and know the weather where you are (or were) is turbulent at times.

So you convinced me to go for it. I knew it would be hard work, but I wanted it too.

Can't wait till things start blooming.

Dolly is definitely the answer and those $25 red jobs with the big fat tires work perfectly well. I talked the neighbor into taking an Oak tree I had been growing out but had gotten too comfy in the veg garden and was now 13' tall. We finally got cut in around a sizeable rootball, tree cut free and drug out of the hole. Another neighbor brought over her garden cart but even with the sides down, that was just too unweildly to try and lift. DOLLY! I got the lip under the edge of the ball and rolled the tree and dolly back. Had to keep the handle at about a 30 degree angle but with the fat tires we rolled through the yard over curbs and on to it's new home.