Butterfly Journey – Part II

My preparations for this year began last year as we decided to start many plants from seed that we would desire for the upcoming gardening season. In past years it has been a scramble to go to the many garden center nurseries in our area trying to find a good selection to choose from. Pricing, selection and the quality of what they had to offer always became deciding factors in the search for just the right things we wanted. Usually we did find everything we wanted but it was quite a chore to drive around and search each business for our plants we thought would be best suited. Also in years past, we had started some flowers from seed on our counter spaces, tables, floors, chairs, windowsills….just about every place that was awkward enough or in your way to be a nuisance. We had talked about the cost and convenience of purchasing from growers and the space issues starting our own plants in the house and of course came up with a possible solution. Installing a greenhouse would merge those two issues and also provide early season protection before planting. After researching the various home built and production type styles we did decide to purchase an aluminum prefab kit from a dealer. Cost and convenience drove half the decision along with ease of setup. The other half was the simple organization and planting use features that fit our garden objectives.

One of the things we planned for was to place the greenhouse in an obvious sun drenched area of our yard. We decided to clear an old overgrown vegetable garden area and reclaim it’s use for the greenhouse. It took a little elbow grease but well worth the effort. Minor adjustments to the actual ground for stability and preperation to place the greenhouse on a secure pad were then completed. The greenhouse itself was delivered in a few parcels. Think of it as a giant erector set for kid minded adults. So many parts. Nuts and bolts by the hundreds in various shapes and sizes. Every piece labeled differently, yet they all looked the same. It seemed daunting, but in the end, putting it all together was not as bad as the initial shock of trying to organize the pieces. After assembling and making sure the greenhouse was properly secured to the base we set out to try and make it easy to care for plants without clutter associated issues. Simple shelving and storage goals allowed us to maximize the small space all while keeping it very useful.

The greenhouse we installed was basically a simple structure to allow us room to grow select plants in a safe environment protected from weather, animals and basically ourselves. Growing plants indoors is ok until you start large quantities of seedlings spread out through numerous living spaces. Of course other benefits are the ability to share some extra plants and also space for our gardening neighbors. The care needed for this was simply the watering times and upgrades from seedling size planting cells to larger sustainable pots before planting. We learned to watch the temperature so as not to dry our plants during this early growth time. Hand watering allowed us to track plant health and inspect for disease or other issues during the seedling to small potted transfer stages. It is really rewarding during this time before planting in the garden. When you go out and see the new plants lined up in a row, you kind of smile. Every day or so new leaves and seedlings sprouting up giving a sense of accomplishment while also enjoying the nature of fresh start gardening.

One of the things I would point out is that although we feel money will be saved through planting seeds as opposed to purchasing plants each season, we will also still continue to support local nurseries. We also considered the initial outlay of expense to put this into sensible use. It’s a balance of both economy and hobby that I based on our level of participation maintaing our gardens. Being able to support what we do with a little panache and organization suits our purpose and helps us organize for the better part of the gardening season. Consider it closet space for all your gardening needs!

While I have completed the installation, some things were left unfinished as it is decided what useful finishing touches will help us along the way. As seen above, most of our planting needs are kept inside. The partially completed planting beds surrounding the greenhouse base are for future decoration planting to soften the structure’s impact in our yard. Additional ideas such as remote drip irrigation will be added. I did purchase a remote thermometer to keep an eye from afar. From experience gained, it is imperative to monitor this in order to not loose seedlings and plants to extreme temperatures. We simply check and vent the structure as needed. As we gain insight into actual use and what we feel will be practical for our purpose, I will post updated information for anyone interested in adding a greenhouse to their garden repertoire.

In my next segment, I will update the progress regarding plantings for Monarch Butterflies that were started a year ago. The types of feeder and nurturing plants are in the Apocynaceae family, or milkweed as we know it. Establishing these plants take minimal effort but need some preparation and planning. Basic knowledge of use by the Monarch Butterflies and information on planting in proper environments concerning native plant species in your geographic area will be of great benefit. I will admit that it is a small amount of work and reading. However, the reward is so much greater when you get to sit back and admire what you will accomplish!