"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Ready To Grow In the Winter!

Well, all of my blogging friends, you had so many questions about the zinnias I grow and the seed, that I want to answer your questions. Thank you so much for your comments. In earlier years, I only planted a small bed of zinnias,.............then we moved to the country with lots and lots of ground! I usually buy 3 packs of zinnia seed of good quality each year, but last year, I had grown tired of spending so much $$ on so little amount of seed. I saved all of the seed from my small garden, which resulted in a large amount of seed for the garden I have previously posted about this year. And now...I have gotten 10 times that amount of seed, in which I am storing in jars. Do I sell the seed? Well, no, I share the seed with friends, but a lot of zinnia seed does not sprout unless a germination test has been done......I haven't gotten into that part of growing yet. I also have not sold the zinnias.......I grow them for the pure enjoyment. I have played around with the idea of a flower farm....... I have plenty of acres........we'll see later on down the road..I have a lot to learn and I need a lot of equipment......as well as $$$$$! {:
Sweetie worked a lot of hours overtime at his job and got the next half day off......and he spent his free time.....helping me out! Such a sweetie!
The nights have gotten much cooler, so Sweetie helped get my greenhouse ready. We purchased a 25 ft. x 20 ft of plastic sheeting, which draped completely over the greenhouse.

Of course we had quality supervision.
( Max is not snarling, by the way, he is very old and has lost his tooth on that side, and has had a snarl ever since..........poor old man.)


Back to the greenhouse.....we anchored down the sides all around the greenhouse with a double layer of brick.



Hopefully to keep the plastic from blowing and to keep the greenhouse sealed. If the brick prove to be too weak in the west Texas wind, we can tie a rope around the bottom if needed. Greenhouses need air to circulate, I sealed the windows and will leave the door open during the day for air if the weather permits.




Sweetie, supplied the greenhouse with an electrical outlet to plug the heater in............

(aren't husbands super smart in these kinds of things?)
I am always so impressed!



And here is my greenhouse, snug and warm. The plants inside are singing and blooming...they can't believe how cozy it is. And so far, this method is working. So if any of you have a greenhouse, you might try this method. The plastic and the heater are both around the $20 range at a local Wal-mart. So it's a good investment. The true test will come when Winter's winds and extreme cold hit. I will keep updating as time goes by. Thank you all again for your comments. I so love hearing from you!







16 comments:

Pat / Silver Thimble Quilt Co. said...

Wow I'm so impressed! I can't wait to hear about the plants through the winter months.

Pat

Linda said...

Your greenhouse looks like it will be warm and cozy for all your plants...I know the weather can be harsh....I hope this does the trick...hugs, Linda

Connie said...

Kathleen, I hope that your greenhouse will work for your plants. Looks like it is all tucked in for a winter's nap!

Julie Harward said...

You have a wonderful sweetie...and Max is cute tooth or no tooth! Good luck with the green house, wish I had one! Come say hi ;D

Anonymous said...

It looks very secure to me and I wish you lots of success. I think Max is the sweetest thing. He's snickering that he does not have to work probably!

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

It looks like you have your winterizing well under control. I hope it all works out. It is heartbreaking when our "babies" (plants) perish in the cold or the heat. And yes, a good husband is a joy forever!

LindaSue said...

will be fun to see what you are able to do over the winter with your improved weather protection - I do know what you mean about W. Tex winds being able to tear apart things! seems as if we Texans have had unusually wet weather this fall - should make for an interesting winter.

grammy said...

What a great winter green house. Do you leave a door to go in during the winter? Probably. Would it work to grow tomatoes in the winter? I am not a gardener...as you can tell (o:

Nancy M. said...

I really hope the plastic keeps your plants warm and blooming! It's wonderful to have husbands who are so talented!

KathyB. said...

Thank-you for this "how-to". You graciously e-mailed me a bit about preserving your zinnia seeds, but I seem to grasp things like this even better with pictures! Your zinnias do look pretty enough ( in a previous post) to sell as fresh flower bouquets...pretty enough to sell at prices to give you more "seed money"!

nancy huggins said...

I love reading about your kitty and your garden..I have a garden group if you would be interested in joining..Lots of things shared in there.
I am having a give away in my blog so be sure and check it out :)

Vickie said...

All ready for the cold weather! I hear we may get a little cold this week. Your plants will be snug as a bug in their little greenhouse! I hope to have a greenhouse one of these days!

Jen's Farmily said...

I love Zinnias. I tried to grow mine from seeds last year but they got too stemmy. I would love to have a greenhouse setup like yours one day! Maybe when MrC and I buy our own place!

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hello Kathleen,

The first thing I thought when I saw the greenhouse cover was....Oh, it has a *snuggie*.....LOL :0)

Really it does look snug as a bug and I know you will figure out as you go along...the journey is the fun of discovering what to do and not to do.

I love Zinnias and would love to scatter them down my lane that comes to the house..they like gerber daisies, always look like they are smiling. :0)

Ok, so are you going to germinate some seeds in early spring to see how many sprout..that will be interesting to hear about.

Thanks so much for dropping by for a visit! You know I'm STILL unpacking from this recent move...tonight I unfolded a piece of fabric and there smiling up at me was the embroidery you sent to me after using Monica's thread. I'm going to turn it into a pinkeep.

Vintage Linen Treasures said...

Wow! That's very cool - I mean - warm idea! I can't wait to see how well it works when it really gets cold. I bet it will do great!
patricia:o)

Lanny said...

Nice, inspiring once again. Thanks!