Tour of Susan's GH (lakesidecallas)

Wow, what great plants you have. A couple of thousand I would guess.
As an apartment dweller, I enjoy looking at anything green and growing. What I would do to be your neighbor.
Thanks

Susan, if you ever get to Phoenix Arizona, one of my favorite nurseries there (Bakers) has a Silk Floss tree that is about 60' and just spectacular when it blooms - really a sight to see.

I love your house, I've been thinking more and more about needing one with a base that is capable of holding heat, for early spring seed starting.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post all of those pics!!!

Rachel, I don't think Callas are hardy in your area. Do you know your zone? They are only supposed to be hardy to zone 8 but some people here in zone 6 leave them out in the ground.

Sherry, the base was necessary to even out the ground, on one end it is over 2 ft high and the other only about 6 inches. In the back (down the hill) it is almost 3 ft, just guessing. I've always liked the look of those fancy greenhouses on stone bases. If I had to do it again I wouldn't have a base.

To work on the frame of the greenhouse we had to rent a scaffolding, and had to take it in in pieces and lift over the base. Then since some of the crosswise pieces are lower we'd have to lower the top part of the scaffolding, pull the bottom part to the next, and raise the top part up again. Me hoisting this steel scaffold section up on a rope, and Harry trying to fit the feet into the pipes. Yuck.

There were a lot of times I wished that base was not there! Until we had the steps I cracked my shins a lot stepping over it.

The other drawback to the base is that the wood boards have shrunk a bit, I had to fill in between them with a spray foam, which looks kind of yucky. Harry put some Styrofoam insulation on the inside to help. Also, you need something to attach the bottom of the polycarbonate to the wood, or you end up with cracks and the winter wind blows in. We're still trying to figure that out. Last winter (2007) I put mud !! at the joint of the plastic and wood. Harry had put some wooden strips on the inside to stop the PC from blowing and moving, and we tacked down the outside with some nails. Fall of '08 I tried some putty, which seemed to work better. I'll try to get some close up photos of that.

Gotcha, sounds like there is some real downsides to the base - thanks for putting a reality check on my ideas. Too bad, they do look sharp!

lakesidecalla's, I am still enjoying viewing and listening to your work's concerning your greenhouse.

We are in Zone 6B/7A but a few year's ago we were listed as strictly zone 7A . I grow and still have plant's here that are said to only be hardy to 7B;-).

The Z. Aethiopica type of Calla's are cold hardy here. I grow them and my mother did as well for many year's. I have not pushed the zone on the calla's to see if I can grow anything zone 8 yet.....but I may try in the near future.

Rachel

Sheryl, maybe you can work out some way to not finish the wall where the door is until the GH frame is up.
Or, maybe you'll have more than 2 people trying to put it up, LOL!

Its a JUNGLE in there! I love it! You like Chorizia like I like Bauhinia, LOL.

Wow what a great GH. I m so excited to look at all your pics and what a cute kitty :)
Thanks for sharing
love it !