It's finished!

Amen! The greenhouse is finally finished! Hired friend Paul Manning to do the last engineering on the greenhouse. Paul is good at figuring out things on the fly - he works on farm equipment - without a manual - for a living. We had to disassemble to doors and put them back together and had to buy a few more bits of hardware to complete the project but - sigh of relief - It's done!

Paul finishing the roof vents

The greenhouse is really quite a large growing space - friend Janet suggested we put in a couple of chaise lounges and have one of those tall drinks with the umbrella in it until the space fills up. It will be such a blessing to have a space to get out of the weather, to keep tender things growing in the winter and to generally enjoy. Vicki's neighbors wondered if she is taking up growing wacky tobacco. I told her she should take them on a tour through it and sell some plants to them. The more customers the merrier - and curious neighbors are a great start!

Have a min/max thermometer coming and I still need to bolt the greenhouse to the ground. That's next step for Tuesday with Pam. Buying some threaded rods I can cut to length and a wing nut to go on the clips for the greenhouse frame.Vicki brought out a solar light and I think we will put it inside the greenhouse. It will come in handy for those early dark mornings when I am trying to load stock. I think the seedlings may come to the house earlier than I anticipated because they are keeping the Oakland County greenhouse so cold. Am moving the seedlings Tuesday to an interior bed and covering them with frost cloth to try and gain a few degrees of heat.

Paul working on the greenhouse

Now we will need to order a load of pea gravel to put down for flooring. I'd like to keep the floor dry with a layer of gravel over the weed mat. So one step at a time it is nearing completion - and ready for plants. Thinking of digging up the tomatoes that are in the bed at Oakland County and potting them into two gallons and seeing if I can get some early tomatoes. They are suffering so from the cold. They have turned purple as they can't take up any phosphorus - so I've been fertilizing regularly

Tomorrow I go to the Oakland County greenhouse - need to fertilize the garden beds. Will take a harvest - as I am out of salad greens , thin and water. I might sow some more lettuces in the beds by the vents, have been trying to get enough to harvest and take to market. Bagged , fresh organic greens should be able to find someone who will want them for a good price. Will also be ordering some cyclamen and cineraria to grow on - trying  to get something to offer for Valentine's day - but I don't know if I have enough time.