My new green wall (where I realize my garden is so much bigger than my house)

I've spent the last 4 or 5 months gleefully adding vertical elements to the garden, like the Tillandsia that festooned Clifford, our big-leaf Magnolia.

And the virtual Bromelaid and Tillandsia party I put together on the dead Schefflera branches...

Not to mention the hanging planters on the trellis...

And this trio on the Passiflora 'Snow Queen' trellis...

Then there are the Bromeliads I added to the anti-raccoon fencing around the stock-tank pond (which was successful in keeping the little masked bandits from taking a swim!)...

And of course there's the DANGER planter...

This is all to say that I realized I needed to come up with a way to overwinter these non-hardy vertical elements that kept them well lit and easy to care for.

And I did! But I had no idea just how many plants there were, tucked in here, and there, until I carried them all down to the basement...

Meet the new green wall...

My low (no) cost solution was to use some of the left-over rolled wire fencing I bought to protect the stock-tank pond, and hang it from one of the beams in the basement. 4-ft wide by 8-ft tall...plenty of room! Well, turns out it's pretty full. I mean there's still a little room for air-circulation...

But I'm amazed at how quickly it filled up. The garden swallows dozens of plants, the house — not so much.

While this idea was first and foremost practical...

I must admit what I love about it is how beautiful it is.

Since putting it up I've done laundry twice and found myself just staring at the plants.

I grab the spray bottle and mist them...

And admire them.

One day earlier this week was very grey and rainy, I was working downstairs and walking past these plants a few times I'd completely forgot about the outside conditions — it was summer again, if only in my head.

Now all I need is one of those light therapy boxes for seasonal affective disorder and I can spend winter in the basement oblivious to what's going on outside.

Ha! Not quite...

But this will be a nice diversion.

Since my desk (crafts and sewing, not so much computer work) is directly behind the new green wall, I've hung a clear shower-curtain liner at the back to contain the over-spray. It's on a make-shift rod so I can pull it back when I'm not spritzing, for air-flow and to spray the back of things.

The white and chartreuse containers are from the kitchen department at IKEA, caddies that are meant to hook onto their utensil rails, they made great (cheap!) plant pockets...

Hard to believe it's so narrow when viewed from the side.

And yes, I will be taking down the Tillandsias to give them a nice soak in the sink every once and awhile, they do love a little swim time.

(Andrew's studio in the distance)

Yep, I am officially in love with my new green wall...

Weather Diary, Oct 11: Hi 70, Low 45/ Precip 0

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