OK , Happy, I have a townhouse in West Palm and will be coming down in March and if I find any Florida Birds up here, I will drive down and have a talk with you........^^_^^
Have you guys warmed up down there yet ?
Here is a tree full of white blooms , well I like to think of them as flowers.
As the snow slowly melts here I tell my wife, 'Look the grass is growing' as the grass slowly shows about the snow.
Wrens, like structures and are generally friendly and do well in close proximity to people. I have one that builds it's nest in my potting shed every year She flies in and out right over my head while she is building the nest and scolds me if she wants me to move. LOL
rentman,
Is that a relative of the Orange Blossom bush. (Philadelphia etc.)?
If you want to come down to Sunrise when you are in WPB dmail me and we can compare notes.
Hap
Hay Hap, I would like to meet you and will contact you when I come down.
Dwight
Holl Ann I will be looking for the Wrin
This message was edited Feb 18, 2010 9:17 PM
Great.
Mjsponies,
Your greenhouse is beautiful!!!!! I understand not having enough room, mine is only six by 8.
curves, thanks I loveeeeeeeeeee my greenhouse. ;-))))))))))))
and I love how you've decorated around yours....that's on my project list !
I've had wrens nest in my garage in the same nest for several years in a row, then when I built my greenhouse, I stuck a nest box (on sale in the fall) on a high shelf for the winter meaning to put it up outside the next summer. Of course, I never got around to moving it and lucky thing -- I found 5 babies fledging in the greenhouse and 1still in the nest box which was right beside the greenhouse fan!~ Mom and dad loudly scolded me each time I entered the greenhouse while the babies were fledging but never made a fuss before the babies were out of the nest box.
I've watched a male busily taking twigs, etc. to 2 or 3 nests and wondered what he was doing, so I looked it up and found out that wren males make several nests and the female chooses which one she wants. Then she proceeds to re-construct it to her satisfaction.
Here's a photo of one of the babies who got between some loose winter plastic insulation and a greenhouse window. I lifted the plastic and let him out after taking his picture.
Oh yea, my aunt has a BBQ grill on her patio and found wrens nesting in the little tin can that you hook onto the bottom of the grill to catch dripping grease ! She had to wait until the babies were all fledged before she could cook out that summer! Wrens are fun to watch!
This message was edited Mar 28, 2010 11:15 AM
What a cute little baby! I just love wrens.
What a sweetheart and I mean you!! Took good care of them babies...
Hap
Ha! Sounds like wrens have human habits. Can just imagine the male asking the female, "Which house do you wish, my dear?" And after she chooses, she does some rearranging! And he goes away grumbling, "Whatever I do, it never suits her." We had the same predicament in our grill several years ago. Wrens made nest in the same place, so it was wait until they fledged to BBQ! Nobody wants roasted wren.
Ok, I followed MJSPONIES path by ordering a 12w x 24l x 8h (walls) greenhouse from Lark shed builders. This is a steel building stronger then a typical shed and meets hurricane guidelines with the heavy polycarbonate panels screwed into the metal. My hassle was to avoid the extreme heat and light coming through a clear roof. The company will special order a batch of translucent Opal (white) Poly panels for the roof which will have four clear sections interspersed. The opal will only transmit only 40-45% light but the clear walls it should give me plenty of light. The clear panels are rathed at 90% and I wish there was something in the middle around 60-70% but maybe my mix of clear and Opal will give me the correct light mix.
Now, for any of greenhouse owners, I'd like some advice or improvements to my choices if you have any. The unit is not yet built and I can still make changes. I have a temperture controlled 24" louvered fan in one of the eaves and an electrically operated louver on the other side. These things are supposed to operate in conjunction with one another. I also have 5 screened windows which open half way for additional airflow. One regular 80" door with windows and one solid roll up door (7x8). In the ceiling I have places for two circular fans and three lights. There are also 5 electrical outlets in the walls. There are no shelves as I will buy these locally to suit. The floor is made from recycled plastic and will have 1/4 in spacing between the boards for water drainage. And that's about it.
My use for this greenhouse will be for the winter months as I don't want to have to go through a similar one as we had last year with the house full of plants. I have exotic rainforest type palms wich are just now recovering from even a hint of cold weather. They are in pots behind my pool and need a place during the 3 cold months of the year. Then there are my orchids. I want to move them just once this time around.
A catalog version of the shed/geenhouse can be seen at: http://larkbuilders.com/greenhouse.php
If anybody can think of any suggestions, please let me know
Fred
This message was edited Jul 16, 2010 3:25 PM
Hey Fred !
I was just thinking of you the other day ! We're planning on adding adjustable wire shelving, and we were Lowe's looking for "something". I'm actually thinking of driving over to Apopka and seeing what I can find over there since there are so many suppliers over there.
Keep us posted !
mj
Sounds like a good plan, Fred. My only addition would be more windows.
My SIL and I built my GH using recycled wooden windows on the sides and did not think to install them so I could opes some of them.
See pic above Post #7179310
I have 2 paddle fans 52" and a 20" fan in the gable and 5 vents, 6"x12" each side 12" off the floor. An it still gets over 100 some summer days. I know you said the main use would be winter but think about summer time also.
I now have installed tarps that cover most of the roof that can be rolled up out of the way for winter time.
They cut down on light but it's all a trade off.
Also you might think of an entrance door wide enough to roll a garden cart through, that is my next project.
Here is a pic of my corn, taken last week.
Hope this helps Dwight
P.S. I moved to KY 4 years ago from W. Palm Beach where I lived most of my life.
Dwight - you would never get corn that looks like that in Florida !
Hi Fred. Sounds like you are going to be in good shape for winter. If I did that, it would never go under 90 all winter! LOL
Anyway. I have seen a number of people use restaurant shelving that is used in the storerooms and walk-ins. The shelves are adjustable and the come in 12-18-24' widths. They are not cheap, but last. If you have a Restaurant Depot near you that would be the way to go.
Keep us posted on your progress. Where are you going to put it? Back by the 'garage/barn/out-building?
Hi to Ms. M.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=restaurant+shelving&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&cid=8131371968433893991&ei=jqZBTMemD4OW2QSP8eDQCA&sa=title&ved=0CAcQ8wIwADgA#p
This is what I am referring to. Metro is about the best.
Hap
I'm off to see what one of these glass sheds actually looks like. The shed dealer was so enamored by my order that he wants to sell them to others and just got himself a display sample. I'll take pictures. The shed dealers don't really know a thing about plants and greenhouses. They have no idea that they are letting a lot of business go by the side by not learning more about our hobby. My guy in Punta Gorda seems to have learned the lesson rather quickly. It's a 55 mile drive to the closest Lark dealer.
fred
The corn is called Kandy Korn, may have some ready to pick next week.
I have rabbits and my garden gets their POO ^^_^^
This is my Korn this AM after a storm last night. I don't think I can save it, most of the roots are broken.
So we will eat immature corn tonight.
Life is NOT a bowl of cherries --It's more like a jar of Jalapenos.......
Check this site :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4j_9IQ6wzk
This message was edited Jul 17, 2010 9:58 AM
rentman, my intent is not to grow things in the greenhouse during the summer months. I'll test the situtation of course but as I said this is more for cold protection while providing light. I take my phals into our sunroom but the hassle of watering inside is just too much as is carrying them in and out. The other orchids I only take inside when it's really cold but I know they are not happy in the 40s either.
You mentioned more windows. I have five regular sized windows plus two doors and the vents. I think that'll do for the winter.
The door is a 7' x 8' rollup door and should also be big enough to carry my palms inside. Here's a picture of the door in a regular shed made out of steel studs just like the greenhouse and with 8' sidewalls.
the greenhouse is a sample and rather small with shelves which I do not want. Mine is much larger and will come with a build-in floor.
some more views follow
I hope this shows what these things will look like
my unit will have a different shade roof and we ordered green trim as seen in the picture.
And Hap, the greenhouse will go in the rear right of our property where the nice lawn is. I was at the county offices the other day attempting to get a permit. They have no staff left and after three hours I was finally getting ready for the actual permit when they told me I'd have to place the shed starting at 30 feet from the fence line. New rules. I remembered that it was 10' and had designed it to be installed there. The way they want it place in the middle of the long part of 2.5 acres would have in smack in the middle of my driveway. I basically walked out of the place and they are less my permit fees and can lay off some more people. Stupid rules need to be ignored.
Fred
.
fred, is it your just your local ordinances? Since it's not a "permanent"structure I'd think it wouldn't be a problem. Another reason tho, I live on 11 acre's, can barely see the next door neighbor's thru the woods, not that they would be a problem as everyone out here is rather "user friendly'. Anyhow, it's pretty hard to get something too close to someone else's house.
Boy, I would just move it over when the inspectors came. hehe......I know, too big. Ms. M. looks good.
Hap
county ordinances but like you we have lots of space and complete privacy. I was trying to be a good citizen and get a permit but when the law gets stupid, people tend to ignore it.
OK, the new greenhouse has been delivered to the dealer and tonight I couldn't wait anymore and drove the 50 miles to see it. Actually I was wondering if they got it straight and built what I wanted. Here's a shot of my baby siiting lonely in the lot
left inside
right inside. The roof is only clear for two strips and I probably shouldn't have done that. The white poly gives plenty of light but I didn't know and the manufacturer had never built anything but clear. I will probably cover the clear strips with poly from HD.
Congrats Fred that is gorgeous!!!! I know you spend many happy hours in there.
Jeri
woooooooo hooooooo Fred, LOL, wait till you see how fast you fill it up !
have fun !
mj
I agree, that's a nice one.
Were you having trouble with the placement? What did you do?
Jeri, you mean county code thing? Ignored it. Laws that are stupid beg to be ignored. The county planners simply assume that anybody with a large lot must have plenty of space to put anything at least 30 feet from the fence line. That one may have driveways, structures and landscaping in the middle of one's property has not sunk in yet. The rules used to be 10' then somebody came up with the bright idea to set 30' on the side and 75' from the rear even though my shed/greenhouse is mobile and not built on a concrete foundation.
Fred
You are right!!! I know you will fill that baby up in no time!!! Enjoy!!!!
But Jeri,
it's too hot here (the sun is overhead) to use as a normal greenhouse. So filling up is not in the picture. I will move my orchids (after I transplant them sometime soon) in there when it gets cold outside at night. I have a floor made out of plastic wood or whatever that recycled stuff really is which has space between each board so that I can mist and water as needed without moving the plants in and out of our sunroom every few days. That got to a chore last year.
Mostly I needed something to store my palms during a cold spell as they have big pots and large leaves and don't even want to think about cold weather. One of my licuala grandis palms is just now coming back with new growth but the older leaves which didn't die off completely still look like hell at the edges. These palms are very expensive and I really don't wish to lose them but storing them in the bedroom or sunroom is not in the picture. :-)
Things have been so crazy here this summer that I didn't even move anything out of mine. I put fans in and raised the vents. I grow hoyas and they love the heat. LOL!!!
Fred, That looks great. I thought it was funny when I first saw people from Fl. posting pics of their GH up North we don't generally think of you needing them. But then I realized that you really can and have gotten some nasty cold weather from time to time. I like the big door that will make it easy to move in some good sized plants. LOL on the inspectors we were down to the NewPortRichey area earlier this summer. My FIL had surgery and while we were taking care of hime we also tried to clear up some issues for my FIL who had a fire last year they have some really stupid regulations.
