Greenhouse Construction Part Three

Rhododendron A. Bedford and friend

What a lovely spring we are having here on the west coast!  Beautiful BC indeed; mild temperatures, even a few record-breaking HOT days, interspersed with just enough rain to keep the garden happy, we have no complaints this year.

Freshly poured greenhouse footings

Unfortunately I’ve had precious little time to enjoy it, between work, kids, the garden and of course my greenhouse construction project.  I’m happy to report that the concrete work is finished… three separate pours later!  First we formed up and poured the footings, then the foundation itself, then finally the planting beds inside the greenhouse and my shed floor.

My deconstruction crew – helping to strip the forms!

Greenhouse foundations

Many loads of drain rock, perforated pipe and fittings later, we are (almost) ready to begin building.  I am a little surprised at how much work has gone into the foundations, but very pleased to know that it’s all done properly so that the structure will be sound and last for a long time.

Finished foundations and planting beds

My Laburnum tree and two different purple rhododendrons (Arthur Bedford and Jonathon Shaw) are blooming in the garden bed just in front of the ‘shed’ right now and I’m imagining what they will look like next year against the backdrop of my sweet little shed/workshop.

Rhododendron Jonathon Shaw

Today our contractor was here firming up the shed plans and making a materials list, time to go shopping!  I’m not usually so happy spending my money but I’m good with laying out for this project, I know I will make excellent use of the shed and greenhouse and it will all be worth it.

It’s been really difficult to rein my plant shopping habit in though; there are so many marginally hardy plants I want now that I will have a place where I can overwinter them.  I’ve already bought a Kleim’s Hardy Gardenia and am considering whether I’d rather have a lemon or a lime tree.  I do enjoy a fresh lime libation or two…

Meanwhile, the weeds grow largely unchecked and my veggie garden lags – I’m trying not to fret about it, keeping in mind the gardeners mantra; there’s always NEXT year!

Laburnum vossii and Rhododendron A. Bedford

Fritillaria Meleagris

A gaggle of nodding checkerboard lilies

Fritillaria meleagris, commonly called snakes head lily or (as I prefer) checkerboard lily is an exquisite spring blooming member of the family Liliaceae.  A bulbous perennial native to Europe, it can be found in the wild anywhere between southern England and western Russia wherever conditions suit it.

In late March or early April, depending on the weather, these lovely purple and mauve checked blooms elbow their way up, jostling each other for space to hang their nodding heads.  Occasionally a white bloom will emerge from the purple crowd, like a ghostly cousin.

This particular fritillary enjoys full sun or partial shade and humus rich, moist but well-drained soil and appreciates some water during summer months.

Apparently, conditions suit it quite well around here.  I planted a few bulbs several years ago under my sourwood (oxydendron arboreum) tree, which was at the time growing in an old oak half-barrel.  When we moved to our new home I planted the sourwood and it`s hitchhiking checkerboard lilies in the front garden, as it was supposed to be deer resistant.  It turns out that deer don`t mind sourwood leaves and the tree is struggling to gain any size as the beautiful vermin prune it vigorously every summer, but the fritillaries are never nibbled, and are spreading quite happily!

In fact, a couple of years ago one sprung up in the backyard, under my smokebush (cotinus coggygria) and now IT is multiplying.  And a few more are popping up in random spots around the yard.  They must be spreading by seed because I haven`t moved any bulbs around.  I`m just starting to worry that I might have a thug on my hands, but such a beautiful thug!

 

Greenhouse Construction, Part Deux

My new greenhouse project proceeds at a snail’s pace, just as I expected it would. My husband assures me that once the foundation is in it will move much more quickly, right now I’m practising patience, a virtue that I’m trying to cultivate.

Ditch full of drainage, plumbing and electrical services (and the warning tape!)

Last week the plumber and electrician visited and we now have services out to the building site, and the drainage/service ditch filled back in.  I spent part of my weekend replacing the sod over the ditch, patchwork fashion.  When we removed the sod earlier this year we laid the chunks out on bare ground in the flowerbeds, but they needed removing because winter-dormant bulbs and perennials are threatening to emerge through the grass!

patchwork sod replacement

Hopefully this weekend will see some construction of forms, but then we have a couple of busy weeks so I don’t know exactly when we’ll have a chance to pour cement.

In the meantime I’ve been working on acquiring some second-hand materials to lend character to the shed.  Several weeks ago while I was visiting family in Victoria, I picked up a couple of vintage doors, a knob set and an old window for my construction project.  One of the doors, the knob set and the window all date from the 1920’s and I’m super excited about how they’ll look together.

Lovely vintage door and window for my shed

I also purchased a new light fixture – after checking out some vintage fixtures I decided I’d rather have something that didn’t need re-wiring or threaten to burn my shed down!  I’ve been pondering roofing materials, siding and paint colours and dredging the internet for inspiration.  I’m leaning towards metal roofing for its durability and the fact that it comes in a plethora of vivid colours.

And a new light fixture

The doors and window will need some major prep work and a new coat of paint and I’m sure that they are coated with lead paint so I’ll be sure to borrow a respirator when I sand them down!  Of course first I will need to decide on a colour scheme; I really want to avoid boring but am not sure how brave I will be.  I also don’t want to use colours that I will tire of immediately…

Anybody have suggestions??

Oh Painted Fern, Where Art Thou?

Sometimes my lackadaisical attitude to gardening and haste to ‘get things done’ backfires.  Last fall I engaged in a flurry of transplantation, shifting plants from one part of the garden to another for various reasons.

Some, like a couple of good-sized blueberry bushes that live in my ornamental garden, just needed more space.  The expansion of the garden that we undertook last year provided that, so the blueberries were uprooted  (gently) and moved out where they’ll get a little more sun and to allow me easier access for picking fruit.

Several smallish hydrangea and a dwarf rhododendron were also repositioned to balance the planting in my shade garden.  Then I started transplanting perennials.  During the summer I’d been taking notes (in my head, of course) of which plants had outgrown their location, or weren’t thriving because of a lack or surfeit of water or sun.

I love the delicate Erodium planted behind my Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) and it thrives on neglect and drought, blooming non-stop all summer, so I unearthed a few chunks and planted them on the other side of the tree, between two own-root roses, where nothing seems to want to grow.  Next summer that garden will be a medley of pink blossoms!

Erodium spilling over the pathway

I transplanted my Corydalis flexuosa from an altogether hidden spot to a place of pride under my Shin de Shojo Japanese Maple.  Those gorgeous blue flowers and delicate foliage deserve to be seen!  I know that it will look ragged after blooming and then go dormant by midsummer so I planted something else in front of it that will emerge a little later and not obscure the sapphire blue blossoms when they’re peaking.  If only I could remember WHAT I planted in front…

Corydalis flexuosa

A rambunctious Hosta ‘Striptease’ has been relegated to a shady, damp corner where it’s not likely to smother any less vigorous plants and one of my favourites, a Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum pictum) was rescued from oblivion behind a lush peony ‘Karl Rosenfeld’.  If only I could remember WHERE I planted that fern!  I’m fairly sure that it’s somewhere nearer the house, where I will see it more often, but I’m not exactly clear on where I put it.

Hosta ‘Striptease’ trying to smother Hydrangea ‘Little Lamb’

The problem is, all these perennials were moved as dormant clumps, with little to no top growth (handy for locating them) and then to top it off, quite literally, I put a fresh layer of compost over the entire ornamental garden, burying any subtle hints of vegetation.

Now I’ll have to wait until my painted fern breaks dormancy to see where I put it.  There are two or three places where I may have planted it, including in front of the corydalis,  but I don’t want to root around, potentially damaging soft new shoots on newly transplanted plants. So I’ll just wait…

Your guide to spring plant sales | Vancouver Sun

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

Dozens of gardens clubs all over B.C. are busy at the moment preparing for their annual plant sales. It’s a big deal. It’s how clubs raise money for their programs and charity activities and other community projects.

Janis Cormier‘s insight:

This is great info, for those who live on the lower mainland or are willing to part with a chunk of dough (that could otherwise be spent on plants) for the ferry trip.  For those of us who live and garden on Vancouver Island check out the Victoria Horticultural Society’s event details page at http://vichortsociety.org/event-details/

Plenty of Vancouver Island plant sales listed here, along with other ‘hort-events’!

See on blogs.vancouversun.com

My Greenhouse Has Arrived

My beautiful new greenhouse has arrived, delivered by a very personable Russ Davis, agent for BC Greenhouse Builders.  I’m sure that Russ enjoys his job, delivering and building (yep, he does that too) these top quality structures for people like me who are probably all a-quiver with excitement when he shows up with their new toy.

My New Greenhouse

For me, it will be a torturous wait for my greenhouse because I know that it’s going to be several months before it’s done.  For now, the bundles of aluminum frame, polycarbonate panels, door and all the other bits and pieces are tucked away in the garage.

greenhouse bits and pieces

The giant hole where a building will one day sit is now more of a small lake than a building site, thanks to our typical west coast winter weather.  We have the drain pipe needed to begin site prep, but my husband refuses to work in the driving rain (can’t say that I blame him), plus he spent the last sunny weekend ferrying our eldest child off to the big city to begin his post-secondary education.  There goes my tech support…

Greenhouse Lake

The greenhouse comes with a detailed book of instructions and a video, which I watched right away and will probably watch a couple more times before construction commences.  It’s your basic ‘how-to’ instructional video, narrated quietly by Henry Heinen, owner of BC Greenhouse Builders.  Henry’s calm delivery of advice is peppered with gentle ribbing of the young men as they build a greenhouse that is the same size as the one I bought, though with glass instead of polycarbonate panels.  The tips he offers will, I’m sure, prove very useful.  Gems like, “If you think that you need to get out your hacksaw to make something fit properly, well, maybe you’d better give me a call” made me chuckle.  When he retires from the greenhouse business maybe he should consider a new career as sidekick to Canadian comedian Red Green.  At the very least he could probably improve RG’s handyman skills, because, as you know, “If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy”.

Hopefully the weather will improve soon and I will have some progress to report on my greenhouse construction project.

Spring Chicks – Uh-oh, someone had better stop me!!

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

Or pick up at Fanny Bay location.

Red Rocks and Cinnamon Queens are all sexed female.

Buff Orpingtons and various mixed breeds are unsexed.

Various ages. Pricing as per age of chick starti

Janis Cormier‘s insight:

It must be Spring… I’ve been cruising the classified ads, looking at chicks I don’t need – or even have room for.  But I want them, I want more chickens, it’s an addiction.  I need poultry anonymous!

 

Maybe I need a bigger coop…

See on www.usedcampbellriver.com

Greenhouse Construction is Underway!

The first big job is done;  namely, the excavation of a largish hole and a deep ditch leading to the house that will tie the greenhouse drainage into the house drainage system and carry electrical services and piped water out to the greenhouse.  I hired a local company, Sawbuck Contracting and am very pleased with the work they did for us.  The foundation hole was dug with a standard Bobcat, and then they dug the ditch with this smaller piece of equipment.

I’m sure that Richard from Sawbuck hears this all the time, but I love that little digger!  It looks like just what I need to do all the back-breaking work that comes with a gardening obsession.  Of course unless I win the lottery I can’t really justify the cost of buying one, but a girl can dream!

Men (and machine) at work

That’s a big hole – and way too much dirt for one man to dig and shift!

When we began making plans for greenhouse construction I told my husband that we should definitely hire someone with machinery to do this digging job. After he hand-dug my new garden last summer and injured his back in the process, I didn’t want him attempting this one.  At first he agreed, and then he said that he wanted to give it a go.  Fortunately, after removing the sods he realized how big of a job it was going to be so we called Sawbuck.  Yesterday, as they were finishing up, he told me that I should let my blog readers know that he was very grateful that he didn’t have to do all that digging – it would have taken months and probably re-injured him.

Now we can begin setting up the drainage system and bringing out services from the house before we form up and pour our foundation.  In the meantime I’ll do my best to avoid falling into the drainage ditch when I go out after dark to put my chooks away!

The chooks were nervous about all the noise

The bridge – that I will try to use each and every time…

I’m expecting delivery of the greenhouse itself next week but it will be going directly into my garage for storage.  I’m sure that despite a commitment to taking my time with this greenhouse construction project, once I have the greenhouse here I will be very motivated to get cracking on it. The thing is, with an incredibly busy spring looming I need to curb my enthusiasm – I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.

Ready for the next step

Growing Food in the Northwest Territories

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

Doug Whiteman is a subarctic potato farmer who battles permafrost year-round, lives about 140 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, and over the past seven years has gone from coaxing 300 pounds to 30,000 pounds of potatoes out of his stubborn land.

Janis Cormier‘s insight:

These folks up north are working to address their issues with food security and the ridiculous cost of obtaining fresh food where they live.  It’s inspiring to see their efforts ‘bear fruit’ in such a hostile environment and begs the question; Why aren’t people who live in more hospitable climates doing more to produce at least some of their own food?

Perhaps as the cost of food rises (as we are all warned it will continue to do) more people will be convinced of the benefits of vegetable gardening and small scale farming.  These benefits go far beyond simply getting fresh, tasty food.

Caring for a garden, chickens and other livestock provides fresh air and excercise, the opportunity to teach your children life lessons and create and build communities that share with and care for each other.

The comments at the end of this article are interesting, I wonder how many of those spewing vitriol over the idea of gardening in the north know anything about gardening at all – it sure doesn’t seem like they do.  They seem to think that the north is a frozen wasteland and dark all year, when in fact their summer growing season, although short, can be very productive because of the long daylight hours.

See on news.nationalpost.com

Heuchera and Heucherella – With Foliage This Brilliant, Who Needs Blooms?

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

Janis Cormier‘s insight:

Yet they do produce flowers as well!  I have several heuchera and heucherella in my garden but I should really add a few more, because they’re bomb-proof and beautiful.  The only drawback is that deer love them, one year they climbed the steps to devour some heuchera I was growing in a planter at my front door.  Now they’ve been relocated to my fenced back yard!

See on i3.photobucket.com