Our Bletilla Striata Alba Orchids After Winter Inside Greenhouse

Even plants can show their happiness!

Before they used to live for 20 years in our wood garden but the competition with huge trees was fierce.

So Pieter dug them up and planted them in pots, you can find the link below post.

They were very happy inside our Greenhouse extension that Pieter built.

Blooming rather early but I could not make photos as I couldn't get inside, past some citrus trees in pots.

On March 8, I could get to them as Pieter already had hauled the first half of pots outside.

Looking very healthy and happy!

Some already started to wilt, they were over their peak already.

But both of us were very happy with their performance!

Do you also enjoy plants that show happiness?

Related links:
{Our Bletilla Striata Alba Orchid native to Japan and China} | previous post by me
{Our Bletilla Striata Alba Orchids now Happily in Pots} | previous post by me
{SHATTERED Winter Dreams...} | previous post by me showing the greenhouse extension

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

{Wren's Nest}

Sometimes tiny birds can surprise you with building a nest in a very odd spot...

Look where a cute Carolina wren build her nest!

Inside her nest...

Lots of leaves are being used as entrance...

Yep, inside our greenhouse, on a shelf in an empty pot!
Wondering if it is the same bird, or related to the one we spotted in 2011...

Related link:
{Wren Nest in Our Greenhouse} | previous post by me

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{Our Azaleas Before the Rain}

We have had now several days with heavy rain and that is not so good for blooming azaleas and other blossoms... But here are some photos from our azaleas before the rain:

Are those flowers not a DREAM?

To the left you can see the newly raised, wood trail, as seen from the gazebo. Pond is to the right and center.
You can see those raised edges from the wood trail here:→ {Cashmere Words of Wisdom & Update} - just scroll down to the last 2 photos.

Very lush and healthy!

Greenhouse in the back...

Glad I captured these before they got heavily rained upon!

For more Azalea photos you can click here: google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{New Heater for Greenhouse}

Sure it is that time of the year again that our pot plants have to stay inside the greenhouse, due to frost at night. A sudden drop in temperatures makes tropical plants very sensitive, because they do not have time to harden. 

A brand new Heater for our Greenhouse...

Outside you can see a blooming rose peaking through the door in this November 5, photo.

You can also see the steel utility cart that is being used to transport the pot plants down hill, into the greenhouse and up hill back to the gazebo and patios around the home in the spring.

Husband Pieter added additional shelves on the sides, so we can store more pot plants.

He also put bark on the floor.

Repairs to the greenhouse have been made.

Shelves also on the other side.

A wooden walk way on the floor in the center.

There is the old heater, now functioning in the addition, that Pieter build last year, for sheltering some bigger pot plants.

Meanwhile all plants have been brought inside, all our jasmines, hibiscus and geraniums.

So once more, we are ready for winter!

And yes, our new heater performed well as we had our deeper frost, due to the Polar Vortex hitting the South.
As you can see, November 19, 2014 at 7:34 AM it was -8°C or 18°F.

Related links:

{SHATTERED Winter Dreams...} | previous post by me
{Fall & Winter Preparations} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Obese Agave Moved Outside of Greenhouse}

Inside our rather small Greenhouse we keep our tropical pot plants during winter time.

But one of them had grown during winter that much, we could no longer get this 'Obese' Agave Outside of the Greenhouse...

But something had to give... risking even to break off a leaf!

Here it is; OUTSIDE on the Greenhouse Patio... not wounded!

Of course we can never bring it back inside again!

Have you been dealing with pot plants that did grow into OBESE ones?

It is still a beauty but we now only can cover it up for winter time and hope for the best!

Mariette on Google+

{Our Fragrant Hoya Wax Plants in October}

It is brisk and bitterly cold in Dublin, Georgia so that made me long for something blooming and fragrant... Sharing here today with you our Hoya Wax Plants that hung in the gazebo and one resided in the greenhouse. Of course, both are now inside the greenhouse where the heater keeps them from freezing...

A beautiful Hoya Carnosa, full with sticky honeydew for the hummingbirds to feast on.

You can see our home in the back in its golden mist paint color...

This wasp trap still needs to be painted white...

Everything is looking lush and green here on October 13, 2013.

Looking to the other side where the bird houses hang...

We need to unwind them when they go inside the greenhouse, they weave through the Vintage Woodworks gingerbread of our gazebo.

One almost would want to be a hummingbird for feasting on that sweet and sticky honeydew!

This is the one hanging inside the greenhouse, a variegated species.

Hummingbirds can come inside here as well, the door is always open in the spring, summer and fall.

Longing to that time of the year when things are blooming again and lush and green...

It is cold here in Georgia, January 7 at 12:36 AM (past midnight) it is RealFeel®: -15°C or 5°F

Hope you stay warm those that live in the North of the USA or in Canada and are dealing with a lot worse cold!

Related link:

{Our Fragrant Hoya Carnosa - Wax Plant} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{SHATTERED Winter Dreams...}

Literally a dream of enlarging our greenhouse for the purpose of keeping our potting plants frost free in winter, SHATTERED last week on August 23. Pieter had so keenly repurposed our tempered glass sliding tub doors and also the tempered glass storm door from our veranda, which we never used. Come walk with me to our greenhouse...

This is on Monday, August 26, after two days of sunshine and NO rain...

You get the picture of how it looked with the rain; still very muddy here!

Our potting plants are luckily all on the brick patio in front of the greenhouse.

This wooden walkway leads to the greenhouse patio...

This was our Winter Dream; repurposing the 3-part sliding tub doors, made of tempered glass.

On Friday, the 23rd one of those 3 had suddenly SHATTERED...

SHATTERED literally into a thousand tiny pieces...

Maybe from the vibration caused by heavy THUNDER? 

Pieter did search the entire area for some object but there was no evidence to be found that might have hit the glass...

Also the tempered glass storm door had SHATTERED, it was not even on the greenhouse extension yet.

So now husband Pieter is trying to patch up those frames with some acrylic sheets, that of course are not in the correct size for that length... Quite a puzzle!

It would have worked so well for protecting our potting plants from the freezing winds...

Before we used thick plastic but that becomes brittle and deteriorates.

Just trying to patch things together...

It nearly is impossible for collecting these tiny shattered shards of glass...

SHATTERED Winter Dreams...

Well, most shards have been scooped up, together with some soil. Near our creek we had a sandy beach so lots of sand available to haul off in the wheelbarrow.

Only a door needs to be build, the acrylic side panels are done.

Summer is barely over and already plans for winter...

Related link:

{Fall & Winter Preparations} | previous post by me showing a plastic version of the greenhouse extension

Mariette on Google+

{Fall & Winter Preparations}

Because on Friday night, November 11, we did have our very first frost, the pot plants HAD to be moved inside the greenhouse. There was already over-population last winter and as things grow only bigger, it would not quite fit this time. So Pieter did build an additional greenhouse with only thick plastic, adjacent to the greenhouse with Doppelstegplatten, Insulated Polycarbonate Glazing. There will not be a heater on a thermostat, as in the greenhouse, but it gives some protection for the drying and cold wind in freezing temperatures. So let's have a look at what Pieter has build for our green children... 

This photo is taken after the first frost, with everything already inside. Where the adjacent plastic greenhouse has been built, there was still a row with tomatoes that had to be removed...

Our LAST home grown tomatoes for the year. They cannot ripen on the plant but they will also color this way.

Still in the process of building the greenhouse for those tender plants like the Angel's Trumpet Datura and others.

Pieter the worker bee and handy man...

You see still a Key Lime hanging on the tree?

It was a very pleasant day for working out doors, that helps.

The patio we had added last year, as the wood path leading to the greenhouse was rotting away...

Everything inside already and sheltered from the biting wind when freezing.

A look inside the greenhouse with its green residents. Safe again for Winter!

Do you have a greenhouse too?

Mariette on Google+