Sunday, November 15, 2009

MY NEW GREEN HOUSE, I'M SOOOO EXCITED! AND, MY GARDEN SOIL RECIPE??? YES THATS RIGHT, I HAVE A RECIPE FOR THE SOIL I USE.


I just love my green house, it's on the east side of the house and it gets plenty of sunshine. It's not very big, 12 x 10, but It's plenty big for me. I'm so happy, I just love, love, love it! Whooo Hooo!!! When my mom saw it she got very happy for me, because she knows what this little green house means to me. The hardest task for me was the measuring and cutting of the shade cloth. I was so nervous!!! Like when you're sewing ......meassure twice, cut once or is that carpentry? Oh well, that's what I did.


I thought we would be using some metal washers and screws to hold the shade cloth, but at HD they advised us on these metal plates with prongs. So easy, just hammer them in.


Since I have to control the water intake on the orchids. After interviewing a few orchid growers in the Homested area (farming city south of Miami), we decided to go with the fiberglass panels for the roof top. It worked out great.


I hope these hooks are not going to rip the shade cloth, we'll see.


This is the inside of the green house. I'm making do with the shelf in the corner. My neighbor was getting rid of it and for now it's OK. My husband ask me what I wanted for Christmas and I told him shelving tables for the green house. I could of said a new dress.



My version of eye candy, nothing gets me going like GOOD SOIL. I think my back yard has the worst soil in South Florida. So I have to mix my own. Every time I have to go and purchase soil, I think, that's kind of sad. What will happen when we can't get it from a bag? What will we do? I hope I never find out.
Well today was a happy day because I worked in my garden. My day started with my wonderful husband mixing some soil for me. I remember a time when I could pick a bag of soil like nothing. Well things have changed, my back is "shot" as my husband would say. I had a difficult time admitting to my self, that I have to take care of my back. I just can't do what I use to do before. Hubby to the rescue. MY HUSBAND IS NOT A GARDENER, BUT I COULD NOT GARDEN WITHOUT MY HUSBAND. He's great!!!
I would love to start to compost, I have to look into a compost tumbler. I don't have a lot or room and I wounder how big they are?


This is my recipe: One bag of good quality potting soil, one bag of organic compost, I use cow manure and two shovels full of Peat moss. This is the best mix for me, you have it all, if I'm using it for hanging baskets or in clay pots I then add a bit or Perlite. In the past for some major project in the front garden I got the soil by the yard. But, I like my mix best.

I always get the large block of Peat Moss, great bargain.

My blender LOL. He mixes all up in the wheel barrel. I'm sure there is an easier way to do this, but this is what works for me. I just wheel it around as I need it.

This metal galvanized tub like container came back to the states with me from Germany, over 16 years ago. Its had many functions in my garden. I've thought of turning it into a container for a small herb garden, but I just can't see myself drilling holes in it. For now It covers my open bag of Peat Moss. I love it.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Marlene, You have a lovely blog. Thanks for following mine. I see you live in one of my favorite states. How nice that you get to have a beautiful garden year around.

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  2. Marlene, is great to see you working in your new greenhouse and the care you take in the soil type... but let me tell you that I just wonder why in that tropical climate you are in need of a greenhouse, is it just for your orchids?? Would love to know, if you don´t care.
    Muchos cariños,
    Maria Cecilia

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