{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

{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?

{Wren Nest in Our Greenhouse}

On April 12, I made this photo from a Carolina Wren on its nest. They chose to build their nest inside a planter in our greenhouse, on the side-shelf. Pieter moved the pots out onto the patio, in front of the greenhouse and discovered the nest... Sweet bird; I find those Wrens very cute and so active in catching insects and spiders around our home. They also have a lovely voice; very upbeat! In Dutch I call them 'Schatje'... (little darling)

Our greenhouse with its patio on August 16, 2010

***

LAST CHANCE for my Worldwide GIVEAWAY today till midnight!

*Good Luck*

{Our Camellia Sinensis Tea Plant and Japanese Magnolia}

• On Thursday, March 3 at the end of the day with still some sun light, I took these pictures. It was so pretty for capturing our blooming Camellia Sinensis Tea Plant adjacent to one of the Japanese Magnolias; Magnolia x soulangeana.

• Since than it has rained a couple of days so the magnolia leaves are for a big part under the trees...
• Rain is also not making the Camellias look any better!

• The Camellia Sinensis has not been that pretty in years.

• In general white Camellias do brown easily after a heavy rain.

Some rain damage visible on the edges...

• You see how huge such a flower is?
• I've put my hand there to turn this one towards the camera as it was hanging face down to the ground...

• This is the other Japanese magnolia at 6:15 PM. Can you believe such lovely weather till the end of the day? 
• Now it looks miserable... of course rain is good for the lawn as it just is starting to re-grow.

• The good thing is that we view these magnolia trees from our bay window at breakfast time and any time we share a meal.

Japanese Magnolia or Magnolia x soulangeana

• The Ipheion Star Flower is coming up next...

• Our pot plants meanwhile remain inside our greenhouse till there is no more danger for frost at night.

• Pieter is mighty proud of the Almond tree from a cutting, which is blooming inside the greenhouse now. Thinking it is already SPRING...

Enjoy our Spring Gardens by having a tour at Book an Event.

{Our Home in the SNOW -- January 2002}

Once in a while we have seen a winter-wonderland here in Dublin, Georgia. In 2002 on January 2 and 3 we had for two days snow and it really did stay! So we got some great photos from these two days; very unusual for us. It looks pretty though! So have a look around our home in the snow...

This is eight years ago and some trees are no longer there. Like those weeping ilex in front of the house, they're gone. They hid the house and it was no longer pretty. In the beginning we got carried away by them and had our Christmas lights hung in each of them. Tiny white lights; very romantic.

The solid oak indoor shutters inside of the windows are closed here. Those have proven to be a very wise investment as they keep and the cold and the heat out! Never having to mess with curtain cleaning and dust free. Very light when opened so we love them!

The photo below shows the dining room shutters (l) open as well as those from the office. The guest bedroom is shut. 

 

From our front porch, overlooking the brick walkway to the mailbox and the road. 

Our Vintage Woodworks from Texas looks lovely now...

The antique copper ship's pump on the wall and the oak bench with wrought iron 'roses' in antique green to the left.

This is to the side of the kitchen bay window. This photo is from the first snow day on the 2nd of January. 

Gazebo is visible here as well.

We do have lots of evergreen trees and shrubs, as can be seen in these photos.

We never again will be able to make photos like this as the Southern Magnolia has grown so tall and wide...

Here the gazebo is visible and the pond below. Our property is on a slope.

This is on our driveway and it's the second day of snow on January 3.

Our Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' is still small here...

The balcony to the right and again the gazebo with the pond area is visible.

This is our our young Quercus Virginiana 'Grand View Gold' covered with snow.

Taken from the other side of the pond.

Our Scarlet oak (r) keeps its leaves on quite long and they still have some color here. The other oak (l) is a semi-evergreen. There is a feeding house for the wild ducks under the semi-evergreen oak.

The greenhouse in the back and to the right is our triple-stemmed river birch. We lost it in one of the hurricanes, it got ripped off and only one 'ugly looking' stem was left... So we had to cut it down.

Here you see our third bridge across the creek into the wood garden with walking trail. 

From the balcony towards the pond. The Virginia live oak tree on the left is huge now. 

That's it!

Who knows we will again get snow like this? 

We at least do treasure these photos. 

{White Waterlily Nymphaea odorata in our Pond}

Mid August, our pond looks so tranquil... yielding the beauty of the white waterlily; Nymphaea odorata.

The bench under the huge oak tree is a pick-nick bench. The back converts into a table. That's a favorite spot for having our afternoon tea; provided it's not too hot and humid outside! Observing the fish in the pond or the baby turtles for whom Pieter build an island from planks; for perching on. Those babies are out there in April when the pond is full of pollen and blossoms from the trees.

To the left is that plank... but you cannot come near, or they dive into the pond!

Zooming in, from the greenhouse area... you can see them now.

From the other side, facing the greenhouse with its patio.
That's where we put all our pot plants  for the three months period in winter.

A couple of years ago in August we had a tame 'wild' duck on our pond with her ducklings. Such a joy! The little ones can walk on those waterlily leaves! This was maybe her third brood for that year...

Not many ducklings survive. Big turtles do pull them down for a snack; hawks prey on them and the bull frog does not spare them either...

And the big mama turtle depositing her eggs in June so in April we again can observe those baby turtles... Nature coming full circle!