Gardenjournal: Midwinter colour and my greenhouse is happening

avatar

A year ago, I spoke about wanting to build a succulent greenhouse in the ugly corner of my yard. I didn't happen last year because my neighbours work as set builders and they leave for a couple of months at a time to go and work on a film set in another province but they managed to squeeze this in before they leave on Monday. It's not finished but I won't get finished before the gardenjournal deadline so I'm posting pictures anyway because I'm really excited that it's finally becoming a reality. I was going to make a wattle screen to cover the awful wall but crypto crashes got in the way. Maybe next year.

frame.jpg

A Southern Hemisphere succulent growing house is a little different from what's normally understood as a greenhouse as the main function is to provide filtered light, ventilation and protection from excessive rainfall. It's built out of gumpoles, while are sturdy and cheaper than steel and the roof is repurposed brandering that I took off my house roof when I replaced the tiles with steel sheeting. Thereafter, everything was painted with creosote to keep the carpenter bees and termites from eating the wood. The poles are also encased in concrete to prevent underground termite attack. Next week, I'll cover the frame with shade cloth and tunnel sheeting on the roof.

The vegetables are growing fairly slowly in the cold but I'm already harvesting my winter spinach and kale and I got some swiss chard and brussels sprouts seedlings because I didn't have seed when it was time to sow. All of these vegetables don't mind frost and cold and I'm surprised that the eggplants are still producing, slowly. For some reason, the Viburnum, which usually flowers in spring, decided to flower in June and quite a few people in my area are noticing blossoms. This is odd because it's been very cold, it's not like it suddenly got warmer and fooled the plants into blossoming.

viburnum.jpg

Winter is the correct time for aloes to flower and they are putting on a good show after the good summer rains.

Aloe arborescens.jpg
Aloe arborescens and the little white flowers are from the Jade tree

More aloes: most aloes have red flowers because red is most attractive to birds and although the bees enjoy visiting and collecting pollen, the sunbirds get the nectar.

Aloes.jpg

Looking upwards, Wookie loves the height advantage he gets from the pillars

wookie.jpg

Wintertime if full of flowers here, mother nature keeps the birds and bees fed: this is a Lobster flower

coleus neolichus.jpg

In general, winter is a good time for to move pots around and hunt hibernating snails and slugs and get hard manual labour and any kind of earthmoving done because the soil is dry and the sun doesn't kill us at this time of year But I'm happy that most of my yard will be finished this season. Stay tuned for pictures!

@gertu @ludmila.kyriakou @mipiano don't forget about this: https://peakd.com/hive-140635/@riverflows/july-garden-journal-challenge



0
0
0.000
61 comments
avatar

I love Wookie up on the pillar. :) Congrats on your in-progress succulent house!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you! Wookie is damn cute :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hi @nikv, this is so nice. I was just thinking how I hadn't seen an update from you, and your garden is so different than mine that I really enjoy it.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you! It's been a real struggle to get much done with a collapsing power grid and up to six hours of blackouts a day. At least gardening and winter sun brings some joy

0
0
0.000
avatar

Wookie is the guardian :D

It is great to see your succulents growing in the garden, not just in the pots (as in my case)

Thanks for the reminder and invitation... I think I should do a small update on my succulents jungle before I hit the road, that will happen in two days...😬 )

0
0
0.000
avatar

Excited to see the start of the greenhouse. I had a carpenter that built sets do some work for me once. They can build anything and usually have great stories 🙂 Always interesting to see whats growing in the southern hemisphere. Its prime growing time here. I guess it will be nice to see some your green gardens when I am shovelling snow lol

0
0
0.000
avatar

The gardens from the other side of the world are an inspiration in the down seasons

0
0
0.000
avatar

Finally! (that's for the greenhouse)
Wookie looks great :)

What is this plant?

image.png

0
0
0.000
avatar

Cotyledon bears paws. It's a bit unusual because it has 3 pointed claws, not the usual row of dark spots

0
0
0.000
avatar

Nice bush! I am recovering mine. Again. :p

0
0
0.000
avatar

They can be tricky. Mine never grew well until I put it in the ground

0
0
0.000
avatar

Well that is not an option for me. It will suffer in a pot :p

0
0
0.000
avatar

Try the largest plastic pot that you have, mine enjoys sunny mornings and quite a lot of rain in summer

0
0
0.000
avatar

Oh man that greenhouse looks gorgeous! Is that from gum trees you found yourself or do they come from a yard or something? I wish I could get my husband to steal into the forest next door to pinch some long poles for me to make me the arbor I want for pumpkins and to shade the raspberries in that part of the garden that catches too much sun in the summer. I've been doing 'earth moving' myself - you don't feel like you have to quickly blanket the soil to stop the sun blasting it to hell and it's sooo nice to say hi to the bugs and worms. Can't wait to see it wrapped up - bummer about the crypto drop, it's really preventing some good shit being built! Love this, Nik.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you! The gum poles are from a yard: gums are highly problematic here and only grown commercially. Yep, winter is the time for hard work in the South

0
0
0.000
avatar

The poles are also encased in concrete to prevent underground termite attacks.

This is a key thing to keep under control and I think concrete is an effective and durable solution.

I have never seen flowering aloes, they are absolutely stunning, and also the Lobster flower.
It's fascinating to see the different varieties of flowers:)
...and the cat, that's gold!🙌

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you! Termites are a major problem for us here in Africa

0
0
0.000
avatar

lol... yes love wookie too... :-)

great start. We are currently trying to dig our aloe out.... it overtook two whole garden beds and smothered everything :-) once we get it back to a manageable size that will be ok.

Normally winter is dry right... but i live in SEQ which is just been smothered in rain all dry winter... Just when we are trying to shift soil... sigh..

great start can't wait to see more

sarah

0
0
0.000
avatar

Aloes probably do become problematic in Aus, we struggle with Agave here. Sorry to hear about your unseasonal rain, that does set you back a year

0
0
0.000
avatar

lol... we have rampaging aagave too... pulling that out by the truck load... two guys came and got trailor loads of the stuff to plant out their back section. We STILL have too much. Thinking of pulling it out to plant pineapples.

yes the rain has been nasty here. NSW is flooding again. towns have gone under, roof rescues. Its dreadful. They only just had this a few weeks ago.

termites are a pain (sorry just reading your previous comments) we have them here too.

happy gardening

sarah

0
0
0.000
avatar

Agave got so bad it is a listed invasive here, we burn it to be rid of it. We also had some gigantic floods here. Basically washed an entire province away

0
0
0.000
avatar

actually i did see reports of that, not sure if it was from your account, but learned about it here on HIVE not the "news" service we have. Everything is crazy right now. Yes i'm not sure i will be planting it again.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I like the look of the aloe red flowers. Very attractive.

Wookie looks so lordly! :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Super nice project !!! Can't wait to see what happens next :)

Wookie is on the watch 😉 Super cute !

Enjoy your Sunday 🍀

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks! I can't wait to get on with this too. Have a good Sunday yourself!

0
0
0.000
avatar

@nikv your garden looks amazing and in winter, you've done a great job.
I've just gone and got myself another 2 cacti this morning and collected my other one from my mum's house as it's been there for years lol.
Wookie looks like our allotment cat, he's a stray called Rocky, he comes down from time to time and likes a good tummy scratch.
out of curiosity what's a wattle screen?

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you! There are nice examples here of wattling: https://insteading.com/blog/wattle-fence/

0
0
0.000
avatar

I know what it is now, lol, my neighbor did something like this but with willow, and his is still alive, he kind of shaped it at the top and placed it through itself to give it an effect of a fence. it's pretty cool :D

0
0
0.000
avatar

Greetings friend. Thank you very much for your invitation, I'll get to writing at once and then see if I have time.
I loved the upright kitty and your half built greenhouse.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you, the green house is something that I wanted for a long time now. Cats make everything better 😁

0
0
0.000
avatar

Well, you are about to finish it. I support what you say, my garden looks better when my two children cats are with me (without fighting hehehe)

0
0
0.000
avatar

I didn't realize you were on the opposite side of the globe from me!!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, people often forget that the South exists. Sadly, it's a mostly messy part of the world

0
0
0.000
avatar

BUT, at least you get surfin' summer Santas.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Anyone dressing in a Santa suit in our summer heat needs his head read!

0
0
0.000
avatar

🤣 I think surfin' santa just wears swim trunks, a beard, and manboobs.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Wow! How exciting! Your garden has changed a lot!! So many flowers and colours! Now you have a new installation for special plants!! You’ll have a garden show next year!!

0
0
0.000
avatar

I hope so, it has been a gigantic amount of work

0
0
0.000
avatar

Congratulations @nikv! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):

You received more than 70000 upvotes.
Your next target is to reach 75000 upvotes.

You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

Check out the last post from @hivebuzz:

Our Hive Power Delegations to the June PUM Winners
Feedback from the July 1st Hive Power Up Day
The 7th edition of the Hive Power Up Month starts today!
Support the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!
0
0
0.000
avatar

Succulent greenhouse will turn this corner into a dreamy corner :)
I would love a greenhouse for wintertime, too, but it gets very windy here and it needs some good planning. That corner looks ideal!

Love the red flowers of the aloes, sooo nice! Ours have yellow ones (Aloe vera) and it is the sign that the plant is mature enough to have all the properties it can get.

Haha, Wookie is definitely the king of the garden :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Wookie is king in general :)

It gets windy here too and the corner is ideal. I also have to make sure that it is properly enclosed so that winds don't get in and wreck it.
I'm a big fan of yellow aloe flowers, they are less common here

0
0
0.000
avatar

Wookie is king in general

Haha, yes! I am sure he is :)

Well, I don't think I have seen any red ones here :)
Another reason to love garden journals!

Good luck with the greenhouse!

0
0
0.000
avatar

You must be thrilled to have started the greenhouse for your succulents. Repurposing material is always a winner. Saving a few $$$ along the way always puts a smile on my face.
The cold weather crops you have sound like they're doing well, but having eggplant doing anything this time of year is a miracle.
I know that you don't like the stone walls behind the new greenhouse, but I think they make a fine backdrop to your garden and new greenhouse.
The care you took to make sure that the bugs don't destroy the new greenhouse should have it standing for years to come.
The Lobster flower is so very different than anything I've ever seen.
Your efforts raising succulents sure seems to be paying dividends as everything looks fabulous.
Enjoy the cooler weather, it's always a pleasure when the heat breaks and one can get busy without sweating bullets.
Wookie looks like he's guarding your stuff from any predators that may wreck havoc. He probably appreciates all of your hard work.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks for your encouraging words!

Wookie looks like he's guarding your stuff from any predators that may wreck havoc. He probably appreciates all of your hard work.

He generally trashes a lot of my hard work, chases the sunbirds away from the aloes and murders all the geckos and skinks although he does keep the rodents out and stops the mousebirds from eating the vegetables. They are pretty destructive to kale and succulents like echeveria

I know that you don't like the stone walls behind the new greenhouse, but I think they make a fine backdrop to your garden and new greenhouse.

I think I'll like them more once they recede into the background :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Dear @nikv, we need your help!

The Hivebuzz proposal already got important support from the community. However, it lost its funding a few days ago when the HBD stabilizer proposal rose above it.

May we ask you to support it so our team can continue its work?
You can do it on Peakd, Ecency, Hive.blog or using HiveSigner.
https://peakd.com/me/proposals/199

All votes are helpful and yours will be much appreciated.
Thank you!

0
0
0.000
avatar

This is exciting news to see your succulent greenhouse becoming a reality! I can hardly wait to see the finished result and am looking forward to seeing how you organize it as well.
The Aloe arborescens looks vibrant and healthy. Tell me please, does the purplish hue indicate sun blush on Aloe like with other succulents?
Thanks for sharing your amazing garden with us!

0
0
0.000
avatar

I'm excited too! I'm also trying to decide how to organise it....
The Arborescens picture is actually unusual. Some years ago I was given some aloes in 2 buckets and I had always thought that they were both Arborescens and when I planted them out, I put them next to each other, although the one did seem a little different. In the post, you can see that the purplish aloe has just started making a flower. Once it opened, it seems to be Aloe mutabilis
Aloe.jpg
When aloes get a blush, it's often a result of cold or sometimes water stress. Excessive heat and wind tends to create white burns

0
0
0.000
avatar

Dear @nikv, sorry to jump in a bit off topic but may I ask you to support the HiveBuzz proposal?
It recently lost its funding, is struggling to get back above the HBD stabilizer proposal, and is in dire need of help.
You can support it on Peakd, Ecency, Hive.blog or using HiveSigner.

On behalf of The HiveBuzz team, thank you!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Suck beautiful flowers. like the red Aloe ones. Wookie can jump high..

0
0
0.000
avatar

I always thought that most furry cats are clumsy. Not this little dude

0
0
0.000
avatar

lol that cat: "Must protect...The Succulents..."

0
0
0.000
avatar

He keeps hoping for a careless sunbird to visit those flowers

0
0
0.000