Show us your winter haven!!

Ah, so that is the kitchen story. Makes everything far more understandable.

Gary, To be honest, I did not think it to be your main. I was thinking of my falling out of bed in the morning to make Coffee for me and the DW. At 4.30 that becomes auto-mode.LOL

Some of the cacti can (must) be tough to carry around and carefully with the long ones. The few times I carry my aloes around, their leaves break easily or they scratch. I am just so lucky not to have to worry about extremes (snow) like you guys. Right now the worry is high intensity sunlight and hot temps. We are up to the 90's now and it will stay there for a few months.
Rian

We use the kitchen sometimes on hot summer days. I have a grill right outside the room and a smal refrigerator to keep our drinks. Have to be careful when turning the light on. LOL
Gary

Gary, would think so, big one must know the procedure by now, few years old is he? Whats that third one, aloe? Do you have name and close-up? Reason for asking, I have one that I could not ID yet, looks similar, much more upright though, but I'm a curious cat! Rian

Well here is my only kitchen counter. And under the lights you will find plants that were topped and need to grow new roots, a few babies, specials, etc. I do have a room in the basement that was a kitchen but who wants to go down there to check on the kids when there is plenty of room for my 4' light in the kitchen. Besides, at 72 I stubbornly state it's my kitchen and I'll use it as I please. At my age why do I need 18' of counter space anyway!!

Still have a few in the garage to top and bring inside so it's rather sparsely filled right now. But wait another week or so.

Now you have me wondering if I should put some of my winter growers under lights to see if it would minimize the etiolation that I am getting on those plants. Humm.

jamlover,
I agree, kitchen counters are over rated. Your present use of yours seems perfect! I certainly enjoy my plants a lot more than I do cooking!
Helen
PS: thanks again for the coffee mug idea.

Rian, It is a very mistreated Aloe vera (I think). It was real pretty at one time. I took it outside 2 yrs ago and it didn't do very well. I left it in by my basement window this year. It didn't get enough water and was starving for light. It did give me a baby, though. I'll try to take better care of it from now on.
Gary

Gary, thanks, yes, they do tend to make lots of babies.

Couldn't sleep well with the big bowl on the counter. Even with some old hymnals propping up a few the bowl was to deep and made the light to far from some of the kids. So, this a.m. I removed everything from it and put all in a large plastic plant saucer with drainage holes. Now I can see everyone better___and, they are closer to the light. If I remove the hooks holding the light and move them 2" out the whole set up would be better centered over all. (I'll see how I sleep tonight before doing so!!) I'll just get it so it suits and it will be spring.

Finally construction on the new utility room/greenhouse is mostly complete. I have everything in-- but cannot honestly say it is where it needs to be. I think I will enjoy it once everything is in its place! this is the "view looking into the area from the kitchen. Greenhouse is to the right--utility room to the left.

The view from the front of the GH--looking toward the kitchen door

One more pic-- this is from the front of the GH looking toward the house. The area is not that large so it is hard to get good pictures. The gh itself is only has a floor area of 8x8'--but the walls angle out an additional 26", there is approx 32' of bench that runs along the exterior wall of both the gh and the utility room. (You can see part of this bench in the first picture). The space underneath the bench will eventually be filled with 55gal barrels of water for a passive solar heat source. You cannot see it here-- but there is about a 2ft step down to the floor of the gh-- it is dirt right now--but eventually will have about 4" of gravel put on it. Still some things left to do--but hopefully will get it done soon.

Wow!! And I thought I had a lot of houseplants!! Looks like you have plenty to fill every nock and granny!! Lucky lady!!

Hello all you people like me who utilize every east, west and south window during the long snowy winter. My windows look very much the same.

G'Day
Back at the first posting you asked " What else are window sills for?". Here in Australia we don't get your freezing winters and I thought window sills were for dead flies to collect on.
Your dedication to your plants is amazing. I hope you and your plants live for a hundred years or more.
Brian

The member who bought pots and drilled holes ... wonderful!

I have a freaky method--don't laugh--I hold a large nail (firmly) with pliers over a candle flame until the tip of the nail glows red-hot. Then I burn holes in plastic pots (the kind with pre-scored holes in the bottom) with the hot nail.

Sometimes I measure the circumference of the plastic pot rim and divide by three, marking off three places to burn holes so I can create hanging pots.

Will post my winter haven real soon ...

TJ

TJ, I used to melt holes in the pots before I moved to a drill. It is much safer, doesn't risk fire and can be used for multiple kinds of pots. You can find wire plant hangers for sale on the internet - I avoid plastic ones because they don't last whereas the metal ones can be used over and over again.

Well, I emptied one window of cups last eve and brought all to the kitchen for inspection and watering. Gosh, with our first snowfall on the ground I realize how cold it is right up close to the windows___but I want the kids to get all the heat and sun they can during the daytimes.

Notice the white dusting of snow that we got overnight___the first of the season. I would like a shallow plastic window sill saucer to fit the full length or at least under 4 to 6 cups. Anyone know of a source? Would sure like to be able to water and not have to move everyone. Maybe I'll have to visit the lumber yard and get DH to build them from scratch.

Also when the temps. reach below zero do any of you with plants on windowsills do anything to protect them from so much cold? My windows are long___4 and 5 feet___ so there is a lot of cold air up close. Must be pretty shocking to a plant to have the temps. reach close to 100 on sunny days yet drop to 45 or so at night!! Suggestions needed.

After reading thistlesifter's or palmbob's post on another thread I did get the portable humidifier out and start it in the main plant room. He commented about misting plants over winter. Seems to be the solution for a sleeping echeveria where you really don't want to drench the soil as it is resting and not getting enough light to grow properly. Think the original topic of the thread was mealies.

Jamlover-- I put bubble wrap across the bottom of my big window--as high as the cheap shipping stuff is(14"?). I use clear packing tape to stick it to the glass. I actually had an Episcia freeze to the glass last winter--but didn't lose one after I did that--and they are pretty finicky about temps (LOL-the fact that I composted them in a fit of pique this summer is irrelevant;) the upside is that it doesn't block too much light and I could still see out of the upper portion of the window. For long saucers--look in the kitchen aisle at you local store-- plastic cutlery trays work well for this.

Never thought of the cutlery trays!! Some I've found online are 5" wide which would leave way to much sticking out on the front edge to be safe. About 3 1/2 to 4 inches would be great.

try this:
http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/6199

Gosh!! I measured and three cups would fit in each tray!! Would need 8 for two windows!! Thanks for the suggestion. Jean

All my windows have plastic over them so the cold doesn't get to them. I lose the use of the sill but I have lots of lights over them. Not a whole lot of sunshine any way. When the sun does shine, it is brilliant.

Sharon

So much fun watching the winter abodes created by plant addicts. You people must not have cats. One of mine is very scientifically inclined, and performs innumerable gravity experiments every day. Luckily I'm not a knick knack person, or a person with little pots on my windowsills!

Meow!

I'm a plant addict. I have cats--outdoors. I could not change my lifestyle to accommodate cats indoors. I used to have cats indoors, many moons ago. Cats will jump up on anything they fancy. They will destroy any indoor plant. Heck, they even destroy outdoor plants. My iris bed hasn't bloomed in two years--ever since the six outdoor cats claimed it for their jungle.

I love cats, but from afar. Outdoors. They have a nice shed to live in and are well-cared for.

I second the outrdoor cat--ours has a penthouse in our barn--. I do have 11 chihuahuas indoors tho-- no self respecting cat needs that!!

11 chichis! They must create a fail safe alarm system. No need for a rottweiler when you have a pack of chis.

LOL--we live waaaaay out in the woods-- they will bark at a doorbell on TV-- but not a peep if someone drives up.