Friday, October 20, 2017

Getting ready for winter, Part Two of Four...

Last Sunday, October 15th, was the day. The day we turned the shade pavilion into a greenhouse, of sorts...

Why last Sunday? It was sunny and dry, almost warm, and the extended forecast showed a return to wet, really wet. Doing this job in the rain, or on a windy day, is not fun. It seemed early to me, but last year we did it on Oct 22nd, so not too bad.

Andrew designed the greenhouse framework to work within the existing shade pavilion structure.

First a few washers and nuts are removed.

The boards slip into place, and the washers and nuts are replaced.

Repeat x four. The center roof-support is notched to just slip over the end 2 x 4's.

Next the outside wall supports slip into place, at the top and bottom edges.

Then the plastic panels are moved into position and sandwiched between the outer wall supports and a small piece of wood on the inside. The grey pipe insulation goes along the bottom to "seal" the plastic to the rocks and pavers. It's not airtight but it's pretty darn good.

Hard to see here, with the glare, but the small board is in place along the top, inside, of the wall.

A few bolts clamp those boards in place.

The roof panels are also bolted into place along the 2 x 4, wavy insulation seals up the gaps.

Almost done — there's a small piece of plastic roofing that still needs to go in place around the square orange upright at the back wall.

The final step is taping the panels together with an easy-remove, no-residue duct-tape and...

It's time to move in the plants! I still haven't upgraded from my dorm-room style shelving, but it works.

We have a pot-lifter, but always looking for away to improve upon a design, Andrew made a custom version. Ours is designed to keep you away from spikes...

This Puya is a beauty, but not particularly friendly. Each leaf is lined with tiny barbs...

After the big containers were safely tucked inside, then the end piece, with the door, went on. Most of them could fit through the door, but it minimizes spousal disagreements to not try and move the plants through a small space. Trust me on that.

I then spent a couple of hours moving in the rest of the succulents. These are the plants who prefer it dry over the winter, but can — for the most part — handle our winter temperatures. I do have a small space heater I turn on when things fall below freezing for an extended period of time.

Mr. Big (who actually seems to be shrinking, he was my biggest Agave for awhile)...

... pushed out a couple of pups over the summer. Since his black plastic pot is concealed within a large ceramic one, the poor pups have been deprived of light and thus kind of resemble white asparagus.

Things fill up fast...

But as of now there's still enough room to relax with a glass of wine undercover...

That will change in a few weeks with the other things migrate in. For now I've left the plants that don't mind some moisture out, grouped over by the entrance ready to be moved when the mood hits (or the weather gets really nasty). There are a few things that stay out all winter, like the large Schefflera in the far right corner. And the hardy carnivorous plants will only be moved when temps get really chilly.

The Bromeliads are all still outside too — they'll eventually make their way into the basement — but I'm hoping they can wait until the cement floor gets patched up (a large chunk was jack-hammered out to put in pipes for a half-bath). Jumping off the bottom of the stairs, over bare dirt and pipes, with a plant in my hands...sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

About now Lila decided I should be done with the plants, and focus on who's really important.

Jut a couple more photos of the empty patio...

The furniture will eventually make its way into the garage. I'm not quite ready for that step however.

Cozy plants!

But wait! There's more...

After I fed Lila dinner I came back out and built the framework for PVC-huts I use to protect the two large Agaves in containers from the winter wet, I was concerned they might have outgrown their space. Yep, time to raise the roof a bit, I want there to be decent air circulation and I don't want those spikes to get damaged. Buying taller upright pieces will solve this issue.

This one is still good.

I'll buy the new pieces of pipe and wrap the top in plastic, so they're ready to use whenever the mood strikes.

And so ends Winterizing 2017, Part Two of Four. For a look back at Part One, click here. For a look at building the PVC-huts click here.

Weather Diary, Oct 19: Hi 59, Low 50/ Precip .99"

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

32 comments:

  1. That greenhouse design is brilliant. I am guessing that is Andrew's concept and handiwork. Correct me if I am wrong! And I love the instant coverings for the big potted plants. We are having a hardscaping workshop in our garden tomorrow and I always go into control freak mode when we do joint projects like this. It was hard work just writing the handout and deciding on what concepts and projects to cover. If we ever wrote a book it would be called He and She Create a Garden and Don't Get Divorced!

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    1. Thanks Linda, and yes... you must have missed this line "Andrew designed the greenhouse framework to work within the existing shade pavilion structure." And I think your idea for a book is fabulous!

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  2. I think this is the most detailed post you've done showing how you turn the orange shade pavilion into a winter greenhouse. It's such a clever piece of engineering, I'm always amazed at Andrew's ingenuity. I'm also wondering if you happened to see the most recent episode of Gardener's World (Episode 29)? They visited a garden after your own heart, chock-full of Agaves and Opuntias. They demonstrated some pretty cool, custom-built frameworks that they use for winter protection for (I think) hundreds of Agaves.

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    1. Seconding this. I've always wanted to see the nuts & bolts behind the pavilion transformation.

      I don't know how it works for others, but when I empty out my patio, porch, and hardscaped areas of their pots and shelving -- in preparation for arborist visits or Wind Events or whathaveyou -- the blank spaces are terrifying, but I gradually get so accustomed to them that I get spring-cleaning fever, and almost immediately start planning how to cut down on the containers, either consolidating plants, planting them out, giving them away, or using them as propagation fodder. (Over the course of the next eleven months, I end up accumulating the same number or even more, such are my collecting habits, but so it goes.) Is it the same for you, Loree? Does the greenhouse project make you long for more space throughout the year, or just get you itchy to be amongst the plants again and have your pavilion back?

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    2. Alison - one of the most amazing things to me is that he designed the shade pavilion never intending that it would do double duty as a greenhouse. I did see that episode of GW, a friend alerted me to it, thank you.

      Saurs - once the patio is emptied it feels like a foreign land to me. That feeling never goes away and it's a happy day in the spring when I can start to fill it up again. That said my resolve to "collect less" usually hits in the spring, when I have to find a home for all the bits I've accumulated over the winter months. My last winterizing step is to take cuttings of the non-hardy succulents in the ground, and pull the few things that did get planted out that I've decided I want to save. Those are part of the "what do I do with this now?" group...

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  3. Bellissimo lavoro! Complimenti! Anche qui è il periodo dove si comincia a pensare al ricovero delle piante delicate.

    Un saluto :)

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    1. Grazie, buona fortuna con il tuo inverno!

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  4. The yearly ritual and migration! I appreciate all the details. I love your pergola transformation to greenhouse, too bad there isn't room to sit in it too! I hoping your winter is not too wet or cold.

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    1. Predictions are starting to come in and it is looking wet, but hopefully not as cold as last year.

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  5. The logistics of your operation are impressive to say the least! That pavilion-cum-greenhouse design is stellar - I think you and Andrew should patent it. The 2 of you have done a great job navigating the annual migration with minimal spousal strife. Compromise is key, something I must keep in mind when my husband and I embark on the building of the lath house.

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    1. I look forward to watching your lath-house develop. What an exciting project!

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  6. Brilliant! Everything, including the custom plant lifter, is so well thought out. Seems like you could be marketing plans for these - in your spare time, of course.

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    1. Well it's so customized I don't know that it would really do much for other people. The original pot-lifter (link above) is quite good.

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  7. Genius !!! Absolutely genius. The pipe over the plants, the pavilion. Brilliant. I’m so glad you posted, I will be walking back through many times.

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    1. Yay! I am glad this info will be of use to you.

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  8. Can your beautiful Agave Americana Marginata survive winter in there? There isn't much thermal protection in there. I mean, last winter when the 15F degree wind blew all night, it must have been 15F degrees in your pavilion too... right? And that should kill an Americana... or not? Was it in that pavilion last winter?

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    1. Since my purchasing it in 2007 (guessing, since it was pre-blog days) that Agave has spent every winter outside. It used to get hauled in and out of the garage (unfinished, detached, no heat) before the shade pavilion was built. I do have a small electric heater in there, that I turn on when it gets really cold. It ran non-stop for several days and nights last winter, the thermometer I put in there hit the low 20's (I lost my lovely Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream'), that said the thermometer was about half way back, the Agave is in the far corner, I'm sure it was colder over there...yet he was okay.

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  9. Brilliant, clever, impressive, genus... a reoccurring theme in the comments today. I wish I had one of these, not just for plants but for humans too, when they want to use their uncovered summer patio during the winter. I love everything about it.

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    1. BTW, Lila took a good picture of the two of you using the pot carrying device.

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    2. Thanks chavliness, and Lila thanks you too...

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  10. Thanks for the detailed report Loree. My el-cheapo pop-up greenhouse is a poor relation! This year I am building rain shelters for the first time after I had so many rot and snail issues last year. I'm using heavy duty poly and tomato cages.

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    1. Tomato cages are a great idea...one I might steal for a couple of my smaller plants.

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  11. Your Andrew is a genius! So great.

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    1. He's gonna get a big head with all this praise...

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  12. You and Andrew are so clever! Well done preparations. Sounds crazy but I almost envy you and your cold wet winter to come. Our October here has been one miserable heat wave after another. The next Another starts tomorrow.

    That photo of Lila giving you the eye is priceless. The "quit playing with those damn plants and pet me" eye.

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    1. It does sound crazy!

      Lila has a way of letting me know if I've neglected her for too long.

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  13. Andrew's spiky plant lifter is perfect and I love the picture that Lila took of the two of you using it. It's great fun seeing your greenhouse get put together for the winter & start to fill up with plants. Like everyone else, I'm impressed with Andrew's ability to transform the shade pavilion into a greenhouse.

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    1. Lila's photography skills have come a long way!

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  14. I'm so impressed with your clever conversion to greenhouse winter protection. Your PVC plant tents are pretty nifty, too. All clearly a labor of love! Lila I'm sure would rather you spent those hours on her, however.

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  15. I love seeing how different gardeners get ready for winter. Your greenhouse conversion is pure genius!

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  16. Bravo Andrew. What I really love is how the winter structure has maintained its attractiveness. I'm wishing I had something like that to go along with my greenhouse and potting shed which are no longer big enough. That pot lifter looks interesting. I would love to see a close up of the wood you used. Is it two pieces joined together or plywood?

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  17. I agree with what others said: Your greenhouse conversion is a thing of beauty. You coud sell the design!!

    And the inside of your greenhouse is just as nice. I can see pulling up a chair and reading among our plants while the rain is falling outside. But there probably won't be any room for a chair by the time you're done moving in plants...

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