Author Topic: Around the greenhouse (Read 2284 times)

matherfish · « **on:** November 22, 2012, 10:02:01 PM »

The ponds continue to produce a few blooms a day from the few mature plants in there. Here are 2 from today. The colder weather this past week or so has caused some blooms not to open entirely, or in the case of this Islamorada bloom, to be small.

matherfish · « **Reply #1 on:** November 26, 2012, 04:07:14 PM »

This Madam Ganna Walska brightened a cold winter's day yesterday.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #2 on:** November 26, 2012, 08:33:05 PM »

Nice! Small better than nuttin'!

matherfish · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2012, 03:50:23 PM »

With the weather being overcast and cold, a beautiful lily bloom brightens the day. However, the white lily actually is in the pond outside! The pics aren't great, but the blooms are wonderful, co I thought I would post the pics anyway.

matherfish · « **Reply #4 on:** December 16, 2012, 09:21:54 PM »

A little bloom can go along way to bring a smile to the face when it reminds you that spring is getting closer.

dperry · « **Reply #5 on:** December 17, 2012, 06:05:34 AM »

How wonderful that you are still enjoying these little beauties.

ponderer · « **Reply #6 on:** December 21, 2012, 01:30:08 PM »

I am so glad that you have these!

matherfish · « **Reply #7 on:** December 27, 2012, 08:18:38 PM »

The Key Largo trop lily is a viviporous lily and it has continually produced long lasting blooms this month. I do not think this is the same bloom pictured a week ago, but if not, the two blooms have still lasted 8 days between them. Here are pics from today, and you can see how the vip pads are still producing nodes for new plants. They should be ready to grow come spring!

matherfish · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2013, 05:20:05 PM »

The winter days recently have been mixed with several very cold days followed by a few days of nice days, During a bad wind storm 2/3 of the roof of the greenhouse was blown off. It was extremely cold that night, so we were up until 2 in the morning trying to get the plastic back on to keep from losing plants to the cold. We got it back on and it is finally completely repaired.

There is a storm expected tonight, with high winds, so I am a little nervous.

The last two days have been warm, giving me the opportunity to get some things done, including planting up some hardy lily starts for spring offerings. The tropical lilies in the gh heated pond are really starting to produce large pads, and some buds. I have covered the ponds in the gh to help hold the heat in even better, sort of like layering. The buds are not opening, but are still nice to see, and hopefully will open completely before long. Floaters are looking great also.

dperry · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2013, 08:11:35 AM »

You had tornadic activity in your area last evening. I pray you came through that in good order.

My brother and I know well how the winds can howl through Tennessee. Last spring, we wanted to coat his pond in Monterey with a rubber waterproofer. Here are some videos of our efforts to protect the fresh coating from rain and the results when 60 mph winds came along.

Here is a video of putting on the first coat:

http://youtu.be/IeKNmHWsO3A

A video showing our temporary shelter to protect the coating from rain:

And here is what Tennessee's windstorm did to the temporary shelter and how we came back fro the disaster.

http://youtu.be/VwWxNIWER0s

matherfish · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2013, 03:24:34 PM »

Thanks for asking about the storm. How did your brother's place do? I know that was frustrating, Don. All that work and destroyed.The same thing happened when I built a cold frame over the lotus tubs a few weeks back. The frame was 70 feet long and 20 feet wide. Two of us spent all day building it, and two days later we had a bad wind and thunderstorm and it tore it down, and tore the plastic into two pieces. Fortunately I was able to reconstruct it using the same plastic, and some Frost King indoor/outdoor insulation tape, and put it back with a new design. It held together pretty good even through last nights storm. The tornadoes were not far from me and there was some really strong winds and rain. The weatherman said we had wind gusts up to 100 miles and hour. I was excited to see that the gh roof was still on this morning, and undamaged. I was able to fix the cold frames a little bit better, after seeing how they did. I also potted up some Mayla hardy lily divisions.

dperry · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2013, 04:38:46 PM »

My brother said he was up most of last night because of the noise from the storms, winds and rain. He lost tree branches, but essentially no damage. You were lucky to have the worst of the storms miss you. In several counties to the west and southwest of Nashville, they didn't do as well. Quite a bit of damage. I'm glad you came through OK. Next time I go to my brother's place in Monterey, I'd like to come see your greenhouse.

matherfish · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2013, 06:50:41 PM »

Glad he did not suffer any more damage than a few tree limbs. Yes, we were lucky to have been missed, but like your brother, I did not sleep much last night for the same reasons, but also, with every gust of wind, I thought, "is the roof coming off?"
If I am in town, I will be happy to show you the greenhouse.

matherfish · « **Reply #13 on:** January 31, 2013, 09:45:37 AM »

It is 38* at 11:30 AM and the sun is shining. Going up to 45* this afternoon. Checked in the gh and it is 80* in there.

Since it is going down to 15* tonight, the warmth will help heat up the water in the ponds, so that will help.

I have small fires going in the wood stoves to make it easier to get the fires built this afternoon. Will pot up some more hardy lilies after work. All is well.

matherfish · « **Reply #14 on:** February 19, 2013, 01:26:22 PM »

The hardy lilies are starting to greenup and are producing bigger submersed pads. !!

matherfish · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2013, 01:29:04 PM »

The two bigger ponds in the gh have aquarium heaters in them as well as heat lamps above them. The temps have been around 80* most of the time, resulting in mature tropical water lilies!

matherfish · « **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2013, 12:27:30 PM »

The lettuce are growing quickly now, and some are as bg as my hand already!

matherfish · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2013, 05:52:39 PM »

I spent much of the day taking the "covers" off of the ponds in the greenhouse. Folding them for storage was not easy, as there is no room in the gh so they had to be folded outside. The problem was the wind, but I got it done. I put the covers over the ponds even though they were in the gh, just in case the roof blew off again in another storm. The plastic would help hold in the heat, hopefully. Anyway, under the plastic things were looking pretty good. The water hyacinth seemed to be perking up, and the lilies have started putting up pads. I also checked under the plastic covering the lotus tubs outside, and saw that Sene Kouren is ready to be divided, so the other lotuses should be ready as well. I plan on dividing them in another week or so. I did divide one lotus plant two weeks ago to see how they were doing.

matherfish · « **Reply #18 on:** March 21, 2013, 06:36:42 PM »

The little lotus tuber I planted two weeks ago has sent up its first surface leaf. The weather has turned cold again at night, and still cool in the daytime, but the sunshine and longer days has helped to make the plants start popping! And the baby Easter bunnies have come out of the nest and started eating.

Spring can't be far away!

SueSTx · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2013, 08:08:50 AM »

The bunnies are so cute.

My tuber is still in the 'closet'. I'm planning on planting it out soon. Maybe putting clear plastic over the pot for a greenhouse effect for awhile. It was 27* again this morning.

Vickie · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2013, 09:35:06 AM »

Oh frank the bunnies are so cute. But I do not have bunnie envy. I have 2 of my own. LOL