"GREENHOUSES" and STAND-UPPITY GARDENS COVER

I know I call these little things my greenhouses, I mean, that is their function, but it does sound quite grandiose for such little things. However, they keep my geraniums, some impatiens, even coleus

cuttings and most important cuttings or even potted strobilanthes(those purple leaves) over the winter. Also, this year, I am keeping the FoxTail fern out here- it did NOT like it in the house and is real messy when it drops all over the place... I also grow the cat's grass in here in the winter and keep a pot of chives growing for my twice baked potatoes.

This year I kept 2 Stand-up gardens busy. The older one had Yellow Wax Beans in it on one side, Italian Flat beans on the other half. The newest garden had Yellow Wax and then plain green string beans, but it also held a bell pepper plant that furnished half the neighborhood, and I kept Black Basil, a few lavender plants, some strobilanthes, and used it to start cuttings of Wandering Jew and a few other plants people wanted. It was a busy spot for being only 4'x4'! It is right next to the carport, so it was very handy for parking other potted plants either newly dug or to be planted. That also made it very easy to care for!

As many of you know, I get politically involved here as many of my friends and former students run for office (AND WIN!!!!! GO RALPH!!! Virginia's next governor) so I often end up with a quantity of 4x4 and 4x8 political signs stashed between the barns.

These signs have MANY uses once the elections are over. I am a firm believer in Recycling or Reusing - or Repurposing materials rather than helping to build our mini-mountain landfill here on the flat shore. The 4x8 treated cardboard signs come in great for garden covers and last for years. Best of all, they are free - unless you count your donation to Ralph's campaign, or whoever... then they become very expensive covers! LOL! And yes, I have signs from the 'other side' I use, too.

Anyway, here are a few shots of the mini-greenhouses and my heating system - a galvanized bucket of bricks and a light bulb in a brooder lamp... you can buy thermometers that you can read inside the house to monitor the temp in the greenhouse - or 'cat warmer' or any space you need to keep from freezing.

The Cat houses are on top of the greenhouse. The heating pad wires are protected with coiled wire to keep critters from chewing the electrical wires. Currently I am only heating the big bottom box - now that Spook is gone. But Hoover still insists on eating in the top box which we now call her Dining room. If she is hungry, she goes up there and sits and waits. Food magically arrives. Dogs have owners, Cats have staff. I am the official CO here... that stands for Can Opener.

Oh, the blue material in this last picture is insulation foam. I have learned to love it. When the temps go really low, I can cover the side walls and doors to the greenhouses with that blue foam.

 I also use  large quantities of it in building scenery at the Train Station. Great stuff!!!!