Cool Greenhouse

It is pure bliss to step into the greenhouse on a sunny February morning, and savor the earthy smells of green growing things. I soak up the sun's warming rays, cup of tea in hand, and the stark white world outside quietly recedes into the background.

Spring comes early to the greenhouse, as plants growth stirs in response to lengthening days, oblivious of the weather outside. New growth pushes up in February and March, the time for re-potting and pruning, starting seeds in anticipation of the real spring outdoors and generally a time to reconnect one's soul with the natural world.

It's a world apart in the greenhouse

And all winter long, I can pop into the greenhouse and harvest a little fresh Rosemary, Sage or Bay Laurel to flavor the soup that is simmering on the wood-stove.

However, because we set the thermostat for a night-time temperature of 50°, it is technically classified as a cool greenhouse. This places some limits on our choice of heat-loving plants--most notably orchids. But it is ideal for plants, like camellias and succulents, that hail from places where the winters are cool but not cold.

In the following articles I describe its design and what I grow in my cool greenhouse.