A Few Thursday Thoughts

Country mouse is very busy these days with long work hours, but will soon have more time. I thought you would like to see the status of the greenhouse building project - I took the above shot early one morning, the windows all covered in condensation. We have some some glazing to do, and then we have to dig out the floor, line it with wire mesh, and cover it all with gravel. Then there are the amenities - water and electricity, and finally the benches and so on. But the roof is on and very pretty, with Solexx, and I love watching the two skylights open and close all by themselves! They have something in the lifter that expands and pushes the window open when it's warm. By fall I'll be happily installed I think, and figuring out my new toy and what I can propagate with its help.

As you can see we decided to leave some natural wood color and not paint everything white - I really like it this way.

We are also going to put up a simple shade structure with benches and also a seating area, so then I'll be able to move trays around according to their needs for warmth and light, or protection from extremes.

This weekend the greenhouse may get some early inmates, some tomato plants grown by a neighbor who has the most amazing vegetable garden, and who has specialized in breeding tomatoes for a long time, hoping to develop a local strain that thrives in our damper coastal clime.

In my afternoon off last week (I feel like a Victorian servant with only a half-day off!) I potted on the hairy honeysuckle I propagated from seed collected on our property. They are easy to grow! I'll post about that if I have some time. It's odd how when you do have very little time off, that time becomes very precious and enjoyable. I have about thirty healthy little plants in their gallon pots, already doubled in size since I potted them on. I also have coast melic grass to pot on on my next afternoon off too, and also some baby toyons that will be ready to graduate from their three inch pots before too long.

I still have not resolved my weed conundrum - to remove the Conyza canadensis or not - and hope to call on some local experts for a consultation once this work binge is over.