I don't know anything about building greenhouses, but your plan sounds really good to me.
Josephine.
Fireside chat... please join us!
I would suggest that you go to the greenhouse forum. Lots of knowledge there.
Welcome to Texas Forum.
no information on greenhouses here but I could probably run out and take about 200,000 pictures of grackles for the new bird files.. about all we have around here! LOL they moved in here 5 years ago... disappeared for about a year and are back this year.. goodie, goodie! LOL
Those grackles can be incredibly intrusive, at the cathedral here in Fort Worth, brides have to carry an umbrella when they step outside to have their picture taken or risk being pooped upon, which would not be very pretty on a bridal gown.
Grackles are everywhere in Houston. They nest in trees on esplanades and alongside parking lots with lots of lights. They swarm the parking lots of fast food places for scraps and they foul my fountains daily. They like to find dry dog food and dunk it in the fountain before eating it. Lots of it winds up left in the fountain or pool. They are certainly noisy and annoying.
couple weeks ago they decided to congregate on the opposite side of the mall than ususal... looked like a scene from "The Birds" all the high wires and everything they could perch on was completely covered with black birds as far as I could see... was very unusual.. just a little before sunset... they congregate every night but this was different and strange.... wish I had taken a picture ... it was an amazing site but one I don't want to see frequently.. was a little un nerving. I have no problem with the usual congregation nightly but not like this.
You know, I wonder how edible those birds are, they could be a great relief to the food budget!!!
This message was edited Dec 26, 2008 4:13 PM
I think cities should be allowed to kill some grackles, as long as toxic poisons aren't used....I liked the "bird of prey" idea in this story. And I found the story to be kind of funny! But the real dangers posed by bird flu, on the other hand, is deadly serious.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1582197,00.html
Posted without the link, but at least I realized that immediately.
This message was edited Dec 26, 2008 4:01 PM
I dion't liked Grackels. Moving here from the north not long ago, it was the first I had seen of them. They are obnoxious, have weird loud screeching, are everywhere and have evil pale yellow eyes.
PecanPlantation......
Welcome to the Texas Garden forum and Daves Garden. I can't give any info on greenhouses, but anything you want to find out can be found on Dave's somewhere! Here is the forum that LouC suggested. Just post a question there about heating and explain what your concern is.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/greenhouse/all/
Hi PP ... glad you joined us. I am jealous on the greenhouse. From the reading I have done, gas will be the most efficient and economical heat you can have for the GH. Be sure it is vented outside or else the plants will suffer. Not quite sure what the adequate size heater would be. It sounds as tho the GH will be attached to your home? That should work well and one can help heat the other. Tell us what you will be overwintering in the greenhouse?
Grackles have moved into this area too. They only seem to overwinter here. Not sure where they go for the rest of the year. Are they not the bird that will push other bird eggs out of the nest and lay their own, allowing another bird to hatch their offspring? We are in the woods and only one year was I bothered with them. I fed striped sunflower seeds. When I changed to the black oil seeds, they moved on. Knock on wood, now that I said that, they'll probably show up on my feeders tomorrow!
Don't know if they are edible but I was amazed. An older couple down the road eat cardinals on occasion. He mentioned it in passing, saying his wife was wanting a mess of them. Apparently only certain times of the year they harvest them. I was curious as to how they fixed them. The one he prefered was a bird pot pie. The older and poorer folks have ways of making do.
Not even going to comment on eating cardinals!
As for the laying eggs and pushing out the host bird's eggs; I think that one is the Brown Headed Cowbird.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-headed_Cowbird
We ate birds when I was a kid and they were very good, not lots of meat, just two nice bites from the breast, the rest isin't much.
I don't know what kind of birds they were, but I know they weren't grackles, maybe sparrows, it seems like a shame to kill cardinals, they are so beautiful.
My aunt who was quite a hunter, fixed them stewed with a little wine and wild mushrooms.
Gotcha on the cowbird. That was the one. We do get hoards of grackles tho. I need to hang around birders more so I can learn ~ LOL
Years ago, I met a single Mom raising a large family. Her boys wanted to hunt so she told them what ever they hunted, they would eat. She said they ate some terrible tasting stuff before the boys could sort out good from bad.
I do agree on the cardinals. I was just astounded and had to ask how to fix them. I could not enjoy them at all and in my opinion, quail, dove and squab are beautiful birds too.
Yes they are all beautiful really, I couldn't kill anything myself, if I had to do it, I would rather be a vegetarian.
I will stick with chicken and turkey thank you. lol!
Grackles have to be the absolutely dumbest birds around as far as breeding goes ... I don't know how they manage to breed in such numbers by the evidence of dead babies I see around here in the spring. They lose more baby chicks.. newly hatched up to babies falling out of the nest and wandering around looking for parents. I get dive bombed almost every day by parents protecting another newly fallen baby and find it dead the next day. How do any survive if that goes on so frequently? They did not live around here when I was a kid.. never saw one before about 5 or so years ago.. now you hardly see anything else.. they have driven so many other types of birds away.
I am in West Texas and they are here all year.. except that period of about 9 months last year that they just disappeared.. was really nice and quiet around here.
I can't even imagine eating a cardinal or any other of my birds. I guess if my family was starving, but then I'd probably become a vegan too. We had boat tailed grackles in Fl. They weren't a pest. We don't have any right around here. My pest birds are brown headed cow birds in the spring when they are migrating. But I tolerate them and put out more seed.
Pecan, I have a propane heated greenhouse. It is only 6x8 and I use a 20lb tank connected to a Mr Heater Buddy. It works great. My plants do well with it.
STOP THE WIND! AHHHHHH. It 's blowing mt plants over. My poor poinsettias were toppled over as well as a potted brug. I have my blooming Cheub brug surrounded by heavy cans of seed so it won't blow over. I have waited nine months for it to Y and bloom and I'll be darned if I'm going to let the wind rob me. On the other hand it does make for good sleeping having the wind blow through the window. ;)
WE are supposed to drop to the 30's tomorrow night after being in the 70's. I'll be putting everything back into the GH.
I feel for you having to pick up your plants from the wind... I do that a lot around here... all mine are in for the winter... was up to 76 today.... getting into the 30's tonight and 20's tomorrow. Have my brugs in the atrium for the winter.. most have dropped a lot of their leaves.. don't look for any more blooms until next year. Forgot to water my cuttings earlier this week.. may have lost some! drats. Have two hibiscus blooming in my potting shed. They love it out there with their own heater. My father helped me build it a couple years ago on the side of the house in a corner.. sort of a mini greenhouse! Love it.. only 6 x 7' but big enough for a few things but it was all the space I had. Have one of those oil filled heaters out there and it keeps it over 50 even on the coldest nights.
Lhasa... I have a detached shop/shed that my DH uses for wood shop and one end is potting room for me. It is also home for our two outside cats. We put in two of the oil filled radiant heaters this year and LOVE them. They keep a more even heat and no noise, or open heat source like the electric fan type. The cats curl up right next to them without any danger.
Sheila ~ are those the heaters that look like radiators?
Texasgrower, I live in a small cleared area surround by woods. When the winds blow, they are usually at tree top level and our clearing is more sheltered from it. I wonder if it would help you to plant a windbreak line of trees. I know they used to do that in the north to stop the blowing and drifting snows. The woods surrounding our old farmplace in MN were on the north and west side to shelter the house and outbuildings. Just a thought.
Yes, those are the ones. They have water filled and oil filled, we got the oil filled because we felt the oil would hold the heat longer. They are closed systems, no filling, electrical, and on wheels!! Most stores have them for $35-37.
Good morning everyone. Rain showers just passed thru and what a welcome sight.
Working on my printer today, it will not print yellow.
I only have three more books to print and then to Dallas to get them bound.
Starting another bedroom in my mom's old house. Remodeling the whole place.
Will have to start cuttings soon for the plant swap coming up.
Record weather temp yesterday. 77 degrees
I did it . Poinsettia from last year and My mothers African Violets I took over when she passed away.
That is beautiful Ted, we had 83 degrees yesterday and howling winds, but today we are being blessed with rain too.
Josephine.
Hasn't this been the strangest weather this year? We were up to 79 and 90% humidity yesterday. I've had the a/c going again for several days now. I sure feel for all of you that are having to wag plants in and out with every temp change. I've pulled a few of mine under the covered breezeway connecting house and garage and that's all they get. My stuff doesn't know whether to go dormant or bloom. Pear has already bloomed a few weeks ago. I don't expect it'll do much in the spring. It's pretty windy here too, but not so bad as to blow things over.
Pod, I grew up in East Texas, as I think I've mentioned before. That's interesting about people eating cardinals. Do you think the man was teasing you? I've never heard of it, but that doesn't make it not true. I guess about the strangest thing we'd have ever eaten was squirrel and lots of folks do that. When I lived in Holland, they eat horse meat there. I accidentially got a package that was mislabled at the grocery store. I knew what it was the minute I opened it and it went in the garbage. I just can't imagine eating horse unless you were a lot hungrier than I've ever been!
Well, the rain passed us 1/4 inch, better than nothing, the sun is out and all is well.
GOOD MORNING,
We show 1/2 inch in the rain gauge and what a blessing that is. The heat was miserable yesterday and I resisted the urge to turn on the A/C knowing that we were expecting a severe change...such as 38 by tonight. The sun is great today and is making me yearn for Spring soon. Our Christmas was one of the best ever. The adults agreed a few weeks ago to do presents only for the children under 15. Took a lot of the tension away and we enjoyed each others company to the max. Think we will rest today and contemplate more of our blessings. The media is to blame for much of the financial problems we are having in this world because they keep telling us just how bad it is. I have more than "enough" of everything, everyday. There is a wide berth between want and need. My needs are abundantly met and don't where I would put another "want".
Looking forward to new beginnings every single day.
Christi
Christi, I agree completely w/you and I'm so tired of the media telling us how bad things are, etc. Jim and I have given up getting each other presents because we each feel that there is nothing we really want/need. If a want/need comes up - depending on the cost - we might discuss it or just go get it. At our ages we don't have a lot of "want" stuff and we surely don't need anything we don't have. We five to our kids/spouses and grands. Gave up on the nieces and nephews years ago because everyone else had only 2-3 kids at most and we had the 5. We figured it wasn't fair for the bros and siss to give to our kids. Now our own kids don't even give to their sibling's kids. We aren't cheap just thrifty LOL.
Glad you had a great Christmas and do have a HappyNewYear.
Ann
Yes, they tell us that if we don't shop and spend money other people will go broke, mainly business and people working there, but we can't make ourselves broke just to keep them from being broke.
It is too sad that our economy is so dependent on over consumption, I hope things will level out we will reach a place where people don't have to have everything in order to be happy.
Josephine.
Hello all! I've been recuperating from all that Christmas cooking and festivities, LOL! It's pouring rain here today, and same weather as alot of you....air condition weather for the last few days and supposed to be very cold again tonight.
For those of you that followed my bubble wrap "brug bag" idea earlier in the season, (zone 8a) I'm disappointed to say that it worked great until the temps dropped to the low 20's and stayed there for 24 hours....They all died and rotted completely down to the ground so I had to cut them off yesterday. It was a fun experiment, but I'm still happy that I can leave my Brugs in the ground year round where I live. Sure would have liked to keep them 5 ft. tall though, LOL!
I know how you feel as I had to brilng mine in for the winter and let them go dorment inside.
We got 1/4 inch of rain here. Now it is getting cold. LOL
A bit of rain here today. I went to Caldwells nursery yesterday in Richmond looking for a few fruit trees. No luck there but I did see a camellia variety I've been looking for a while now. It's called Pink Perfection. I first saw a photo of it on DG 2 years ago and have been searching ever since. I'm so excited. I cleaned off the leaves(hard water marks) and put it in the rain to it rinse off.
Tarogers5, your poinsettia looks great. Much more natural than the ones you get in stores during the Christmas season.
Congratulations on saving those poinsettias and violets.. they are beautiful.. I am an expert at killing the poinesttias after the holidays. I usually buy myself and my mother one each year but this year we sent most money we would have spent on Christmas to my brother and SIL in Galveston. They lost almost everything in Hurricane Ike... their house was rented but they had no insurance...it is gone... lucky their sailboat by some miracle survived and they are living on it. No electricity but using a small generator and the place they are docked are letting them use the shower at the office.. he carries in water from a fire hydrant down the street. Putting in a hot water heater and refrigerator this weekend! Yea.. they are finally getting it a bit more like a home. LOL ... making the best of a bad situation.
I did not get any of that wonderful rain here... watched it go by north of me on radar.. as usual! LOL
Ted ~ congratulations on the beautiful blooms on the Poinsetta as well as all the African violets! I have many plants and have often wondered what would happen to them if something should happen to me. Your effort is admirable.
Crowelli ~ no, I don't believe he was teasing. I enjoy talking to many of the older people here and am amazed at the lives that many have led. One 93 YO man today related hunting all night long for possums. He would sell the hides 5 for $1.00 (sent to Russia for the fur trade) and his family would eat the meat. That dollar he earned was big money in the late 1920's. I have often been told how they prefer to fix possum, armadillo and other east TX delicacies. I find it fascinating and a narrow slice of history. I have sampled some as they generously want to share. Raccoon and frog legs are two that were new to me.
We ran the a/c today at work but by tomorrow morning, I will have this fire stoked up again. The temp is dropping and feeling colder due to the wide variance. Again we saw some rain but it was dark when we got home so not sure if it amounted to much. Good thing too as we saw some pretty fireworks on the way home.
Stay warm all...
This message was edited Dec 27, 2008 8:17 PM
I don't mind the media coverage when they tell us about those who are homeless or broke. I must have missed the one where they told people to spend more money....whoever that was, he or she should be fired, that's not their job to say that. My father used to tell us about the depression. It must have been pretty rough back then. People were really and truly hungry back then on a daily basis...including my father. LlasaLover, I feel for your brother and SIL...it's good that you are helping them. I do feel fortunate to have a roof over my head these days.
LOL we were so poor during the depression that we did not know there was one. Share croppers.
The best thing they could do is do away with credit cards. Then you would have to spend the money your have.
Thanks for the comments on the flowers. This is the first time that I have tied to grow violets.
Now everyone who gets an amaryllis is leaving them to me. Come spring should have a show. LOL
Looking forward to spring & the show!
I am delighted to see foliage of narcisus & daffodils popping up here.
Speaking of shows, anyone know of any upcoming flower shows in the Houston area or within 100 miles of Houston?
Hiya Pod, and everyone. Fireside? Last few days we needed airconditioning. lol, so no firelogs were used for the woodstove! Did you know, due to the early frost, my daffodils are confused (like me) and are making their buds left and right here.
Someone mentioned "Pink Empress" camellias? I'll run out back and take pix of mine to show, it's blooming now! I remember those bloomed a bit earlier than other japonica C. but this early? Hmmmm, I've to go back into my postings and search for its performance last year.
Here are the Daff. with buds.
Kim
Helllooo Kim ~ fireside it IS! It is 46° and drizzling rain. Coming your way dear! Think I'll throw another log on the fire! 8 )