Deer tracks in the snow show where a hungry buck gazed wistfully through the glass at the tasty-looking green plants inside your greenhouse. Squirrel and rabbit tracks betray the presence of other wistful watchers that would envoy your greenery even more than you. That’s why they’re called greenhouses – because in winter they remain green […]
If you’ve ever brought geraniums or pelargoniums into your greenhouse at the end of summer, you probably know how leggy the plants become in winter’s low light levels. Come spring, you can cut back these plants significantly to get them started anew, but the initial result is an ugly brown stem visible in your hanging […]
Winter is the time when many greenhouse owners are thinking about starting seeds. They may be reading through catalogs, cleaning pots, checking their supply of potting soil, and perhaps placing orders. But one thing that is often overlooked is a heating mat to go under your seed flats. With the gentle bottom heat that a […]
Have you ever tried to use a full-length broom in your greenhouse? I have and almost broke a window. I also tried using a full-sized hoe in one of my greenhouse beds only to knock plant pots off the shelf behind me. After these experiences and a few more too embarrassing to mention, I decided […]
Europeans discovered clivias in Cape Province, South Africa, in 1815, and soon after some of the plants were taken to England. The Duchess of Northumbria, Lady Charlotte Percy (nee Clive) first succeeded in getting them to flower there, so the genus was called Clivia in her honor. Although more than 1,000 clivia cultivars and hybrids […]
I was digging over a garden bed last week and dug out several Oriental lily bulbs. When you dig out “oriental” or “Asian” lilies, be sure to use a garden fork, not a spade. A spade will slice into the bulbs. These had not been dug for five or six years so it was time […]
It’s late fall, and the outdoor flowers are parched with frost, the leaves have fallen, the tropicals are in the greenhouse and the lawn has had its last cut. Now is the time to put away your garden power tools for winter. But in the urge to store everything, a big mistake can be made […]
Dahlias, with their brilliant-colored flowers in a variety of sizes and styles, are relatively easy to grow, but there are important tips to dahlia care, starting with how the tubers are harvested in fall. Dahlia tubers, from which new plants grow, cannot survive the winter outdoors in cold climates. They must be taken out of […]
Most of us have tried to grow an avocado (Persea americana) tree from seed. Although an avocado plant can be grown in any large, indoor room, it’s also does well in a heated greenhouse. Both heat and humidity must be kept fairly high for an avocado tree to thrive. To grow an avocado from seed, […]
Tropical herbs need warm temperatures to keep growing year round, making them perfect plants for a greenhouse that’s heated during winter. I grow ginger, galangal, and lemon grass in my winter-heated greenhouse and use them to make delicious Thai food. Here’s how to cultivate each of them. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) There are several different types […]
For the home cook there is nothing lovelier than sprinkling chopped fresh oregano and basil onto a pizza or putting a fresh bay leaf in a winter stew and sprinkling chopped parsley over the top when serving it. Many home cooks over-winter herbs in pots on a sunny window sill, but as low light levels […]
Small citrus trees grow very well in northern greenhouses. In my Rhode Island greenhouse, I grow lemons, limes, and oranges that I harvest during winter. The Key limes are especially favored for making Key lime pie. I even have a kaffir lime tree, the leaves of which I use with lemon grass when cooking a […]
