How to Spot an Avid Gardener

ABSOLUTELY! :) I already asked if I can take over the back yard next year!

I did the happy dance today, I received spider lily bulbs in a trade. woohoo! Yesterday the free seeds from the wintersown organization arrived, that was so cool. I feel like I should put a big red bow on the mailbox, haha.

You should!

Oops, DH just got home and no dinner. Oh well. He'll have to take me out.

Bye!!!

LOL! I agree, put that huge red bow on there! Ya, OOPS, honey just got back here too, but he came home earlier and I had already made chili! So now I gotta give puter up. BBL Bye all!

Guys -

Gotta run, but (of course) have to check DG first. LOL. Fred Meyer also has those little greenhouses. That's where I got mine. If you take off the plastic in the summer and keep it out of the sun, it lasts longer. I've had mine for 3 years now. The shelves are also a great place to keep things while you're sorting out your treasures and making plans in summer.

Don't forget that all parts of the Brugs are poisonous, so keep them away from your critters and wash your hands after handling them. That's the only down side. :-(

Had to go to three stores to get all the right stuff for my new "perfect" worm bin, but I'm ready now (except that I've gotta find the little guys and make sure that I get the right ones to start). I'll post pictures when it's done.

Talk to you again.

DH had no luck finding me another GH, so we are gonna go tomorrow and I am gonna make my own! It won't be much to start off with, but at least I will have something!
Ok, so I have to ask, what is it with the worm bins? Misty

Good luck with your worm bin Katy.


This is a worm bin.
http://www.king5.com/video/ciscoe-index.html?nvid=179227

This message was edited Nov 8, 2007 4:58 PM

This message was edited Nov 8, 2007 4:59 PM

Well, Misty, I'm always looking for a way to fit more pets into my household. Ha (but the sad part is that that's probably true). With winter approaching and all the leaf-gathering, I've been focused on my compost. I want to turn several spaces of grass into beds. We generally have pretty heavy soil up here.

Where there is compost, there are worms, so I've reactivated plans for something I've been wanting to do for awhile.

Mary, I'm using the "pattern" from your video because it seemed so "put-together". I love the little found vents to fit into the air holes - didn't even know they made such a thing. And I like the idea about having a spigot in the catch container at the bottom to drain fluids. Thanks again.

Thanks for your explanation, but I guess I am still lost! LOL

For making compost, Misty. Those little guys will do wonders. I have to make one for me now since this one is so easy. And cheap. Can't afford a bigger one unless we make just a compost pile outside. (Which I don't know how to do.)

Thanks kawnjin! We built our own compost bin out of chicken wire and old lumber. It is working out just fine. We thow egg shells, old plants, coffee grounds, left overs, just whatever. That is if the cats and dogs don't eat the left overs first! LOL

I have grass clippings, leaves, manure and coffee grounds composting outside now. But I couldn't add the great stuff from the kitchen (vegetables, egg shells) unless I wanted to attract mice, opossums and raccoons. With the worm bin, I can use all the kitchen stuff and then periodically add it to my compost pile once it's done. It's a way to augment what I'm already doing and to make sure that I have a good, healthy little population of wigglers doing it.

FYI everyone-
There is a Messenger coop going on right now. Need to place orders before November 19th. Here is the link: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/789271/

It's great stuff! Rachel

Did somebody agree to head it up?

Such a fun thread, all my friends think I'm crazy, buying and growing plants indoors in November, and running around the nursery's in the rain! ha ha nice to know I'm not alone.

I don't start the greenhouses til December, my spare guestroom has now turned into a mini greenhouse, propagated geraniums, orchids and now bonsai.

I run around everyday with a water bottle,
and now planting paperwhites and amarillis...

Hi all, the green house is done all but the door! WEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAA

Katie-
Yep. And they are taking orders.

Misty-
Show us a pic!

What is Messenger?

OK, you have to remember that this was put together quickly and is nothing special, but at least I have one! I think I have a total of seven pics, so will send them all. :) The ratty trash can that you will see is one I swiped from the trash bin and just put a trash bag in it and made up my own soil mixture! :)

GH #2

GH #3

GH #4

GH #5

GH #6

And #7-the last one. I can't finish the door now since my truck went and broke on me today! :(

Good job Misty.
One Q I have How are your winters there? Do you get allot of snow? If you do I would support your roof, so it wont collapse with the weight. i worry about the snows here sometimes, almost lost my horse barn a few years ago. Dont have the horse now turn it in to a mower shed and greenhouse.

Thanks! We have a support in the center of the roof, you just can't see it in the pics. In the last several years we have had very little snow or ice. But, if it looks as though we are gonna go back to "normal" winters, I will put more of a support so that it won't collapse. I told DH that I wanted something in there so I can hang my baskets of plants, so that would be a good excuse to get more lumber in there, huh! LOL

Hey, Tilly! The horse or the barn?

GOOD JOB, Misty!!!

Thanks, Kwanjin! Now I have to keep my fingers crossed that the beautiful weather sticks around til we can get the truck fixed to go to Lowe's for the rest of what we need!

I have a 6' x 6' greenhouse still in the box. Need to put it up in the spring. I wanted to do it this fall but...you know how things get.

Sorry that did sound like I lost the horse, but no he was fine I sold him to a little girl that love him and I had no time for him with work work.
and the barn stills stands, we caught in time and got the snow off.

I do plan to have another one some day, but I am just glad that I have a "starter" one! I best not push my luck, cause this one was a pain! Oh, I know how things get, all too well. I have plans for a VERY SMALL GH at the end of the laundry room. Our house is built kinda strange and we have a small area that doesn't come all the way to the end of the main house which will be perfect for the small one! LOL I just need wheels to go get the stuff to do it. :( UNLESS, I could figure out a way for him to haul it on his Harley! HA HA HA

They have sidecars or you could attach one of those little trailer thingys.

They also have small trailers you can haul with a bike.

Now that's an idea! We have a U-Haul place just up the street. :)

Nice greenhouse. Way to go!!! Make sure that you put a thermometer in there and chart the temps - then you'll know just what you want in the way of a heater for this or your next greenhouse!!

Thanks Katie! I think he can haul the thermometer on his Harley! LOL
I was amazed at how hot it was in there today, even without the door. My mini GH still has annuals that are beautiful and going strong! I am amazed. It sits right next to two walls of the house, so I guess that is a big help. I have mostly shade plants in it, but even a red salvia is still kicking, and I dug it up out of the driveway! LOL

Misty, what kind of flooring did you put in, if any? DH and I are are going to put mine up and need to know about floors. We have lots of options.

Thanks

Floors are really interesting - they can serve a lot of purposes.

We put down a brick floor, laid tight with no mortar. Its laid on a sand bed. In the winter it serves as a heat sink helping to keep the temperature up, and in summer we sluice it down with water to work as a swamp cooler and to keep the air moist. The sand underneath works both as insulation during the winter, and stays moist(er) in the summer. Works very well. Its laid without mortar so that the drainage is good. Downside of brick is that it does have a tendency to grow mould and can be slippy if you don't brush it down fairly regularly (once a month?).

Concrete is good for its light reflective quality (brick doesn't do that) - and gravel laid over a semiporous membrane allows you to sink larger pots into the gravel and allows them to be kept damp without soaking the bottoms of your trousers (this is particularly good if you are overwintering patio plants). Probably the cheapest floor is to lay a semiporous membrane with bark over it. Keeps your feet warm, smells nice, and looks good. Needs to be changed every so often, but can just go on the compost heap.

Ohhh, I do love thinking about greenhouses. Time to wash mine down next weekend and get it ready for winter sowings.