September 10, 2010

the greenhouse

I was going to start this post with the tried and true "better late than never", but I seriously think it really might be too late. I've had all summer long to do a post about the greenhouse and it just hasn't happened.


It seems a bit silly to show pictures from greenhouse glory days gone by, when in reality, I am cutting back many of the beautiful flowers you are seeing in these photos and stashing them back inside the very building where they were born many months ago.


Fall is here with a vengeance in all its rainy, cold fallishness, so I'm getting a bit of a jump on tucking some of my flowered friends in for the winter.

Like these petunias. They no longer look like this.


I was a bad petunia mama and totally gave up fertilizing them about mid July. Petunias love their fertilizer and they are now so straggly and sad looking that I am giving them a major trim and hiding them inside where I don't have to look at them anymore.

Out of sight, out of bad petunia mama mind.

The zinnias, however, are an entirely different story. They are still going strong, blooming their little hearts out, and still hold the number one flower place in my heart.


I grew at least ten different varieties, and while I loved the mix, my old tried and trues, Magellan and State Fair, are still my favorites. I will definitely be growing a new favorite, Cactus, again as well.


(Cactus zinnias on the left and Magellan in the box on the right.)


This weekend will find us organizing and making space, so when that first frost heads our way, we can rush the plants we will over-winter to safety.


The tomatoes will have to squish together and make space for their winter roommates, then the perennials will be put to bed, and before we know it, we'll be saying a final garden goodbye.

Until next year, of course.

67 comments:

  1. I sure hope you can see that lovely greenhouse from your kitchen window! It's such eye candy! I'd want to look at it every day as much as I could! And I'm sure it will be just as pretty in the thick of winter. Thanks for letting us have a peak!

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  2. Your greenhouse is so dang cute - I could live in it! You are one petunia-lovin'-&-growin' garden gal -- they are fantastic. Mine are still hanging in there but even at their peak they looked like petunia nubbins compared to yours.

    Next year.

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  3. That is the most beautiful greenhouse I have ever seen! The Petunias are gorgeous and the landscape stunning. What a beautiful place you have :)!

    ~Julia

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  4. Words fail me ~ this is gorgeous!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  5. Oh.my.gosh. T- that is the most gorgeous greenhouse I've every seen. Or imagined. I look forward to seeing it in person some day. I think I might move in there. Hope that's okay.

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  6. O'my..your greenhouse is beautiful...y'all did good.

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  7. I in in awe at your property, greenhouse and gardens. You are really very gifted with a green thumb! Just was able to take a quick peek this morning, but I'll be back to oooh & ahhh!
    Laurie

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  8. Oh my goodness. That beauty of a greenhouse is your VERY OWN? I am green with envy (figuratively, of course). As someone else said, I hope you can see that beauty from your house in the winter. Do you deck it all out with greens and wreaths and maybe even lights at Christmastime?

    Question for you: Do you grow your zinnias from seed? Before you had a greenhouse, did you sow them in the ground? I'd love to use them in my garden, but they aren't very popular in greenhouses in my Zone 5 region.

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  9. Your greenhouse and flowers are just beautiful! Thanks for making my morning...

    xo,

    annie

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  10. It is absolutely beautiful - I great up in South Africa, in a temperate more tropical climate and we had are garden growing and something flowering every day of the year. I must admit I find it ver disheartening to live in the UK where the changes of season kill my "babies" and make me start from scratch every year - maybe one day when my real life human babies are a bit bigger I'll have more time and capacity to sow seeds and nurture plants and have the time to enjoy the fruit of the labour! FOr now, I will just take immense joy in yours!

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  11. What a beautiful greenhouse..!!....love the wagon full of petunias too.

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  12. The Petunia are beautiful! The greenhouse even more so!

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  13. Oh. My. This is gorgeous, and ought to be in a magazine! (I covet your little wagon, my friend!)
    XOXO
    Joni

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  14. Oh my goodness...your greenhouse is so amazing:) I just love the phootos of your flowers...even if they are now past thir prime:)e

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  15. You have the greenest thumb ever! My garden needs to be torn out and started over. I will come back for some tips next spring for sure!

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  16. You're supposed to fertilize petunias?? That could explain a lot!! Is that why they get all sparse and wiry? Found myself constantly pulling off the little ugglies when I had them in my boxes a few years ago. They became so funky lookin', by the end of the season, that I decided not to do them again. Your garden and petunias are quite the feast for the eyes! So beautiful and lovely. It makes me want to give them another go next year. I have to agree with everyone too. Your greenhouse is the prettiest one I've ever seen.
    God Bless Ya!

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  17. Oh my gosh, Teresa...I think I am even more in love with your homestead than I was before! So, I take back what I said about you coming home and finding me on your porch someday...I think I may find my way to your greenhouse and be there.

    So gorgeous, I just can't believe it!!

    ~mary~

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  18. Wow! That's the best looking greenhouse I have ever seen. The pictures should be in a magazine. You sure have a gift!

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  19. I agree with everyone. So gorgeous!!! I wish I had room for a greenhouse like that. Your flowers are all so pretty.

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  20. Teresa,

    This is absolutely gorgeous!!! I'm sure Better Homes and Gardens will be on your door for a photoshoot in no time. Thank you for sharing! Your photos are really inspiring too.

    Becca

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  21. Love love love your greenhouse and SO wishing I had room for one!! Beautiful, as always ...

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  22. Hi Teresa,
    Your greenhouse is breathtaking! Gorgeous! Beautiful! Amazing!
    Thanks for the tip about fertilizing petunias. Will give it a try next summer.

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  23. I am seriously in awe of your beautiful greenhouse! I do not have a green thumb, not sure what color it is. Hey, wanted to let you know I posted about baby Bowen today:) Hope you have a blessed day.

    xo
    LeAnn

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  24. Thanks for sharing a "better late than never" view. Eye candy indeed!

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  25. Gee, I really wish I didnt just kill everything. I'll just have to garden vicariously through you.

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  26. Why do you do this to me, Tijuana? You show me all that luscious lusciousness just a week before you arrive to see my brown crackliness?

    I'm sure this goes without saying, but you're grounded. When you get here, just go straight to the Fox Room. I'll let you know when you may come down.

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  27. Uh...wow! Over-the-top amazing! Do you overwinter your petunias? Your photography is also incredible!

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  28. Now I know why you and Jayme are such fast friends! You have much in common... Maybe I could invite both of you to come to my place and you could make my yard look like yours! LOL!

    Honestly, I have been working on it for two years and it seems hopeless. Too much clay, not enough/too much rain... and then there's the insects and weeds... HELP! Guess I'll be reading here awhile too and gleaning what I can from you as well!

    Love your site! ~ Lynda

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  29. Does this lovely place ever need vacuuming? I just wonder. And isn't it hard to beat a good petunia when they are well fed and burping up flowers? I think not - although - I will agree with you and i hereby claim Zinnias as the most fabulous flower ever. Ahmen. Now - back to that greenhouse. If I called HGTV and asked them to move it here - how much do you think it would cost? I could cut my grocery budget a little here and there and save up for it. I could.

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  30. Your flowers are wonderful- I've really neer seen anything like all those beautiful petunias- do you start them yourself? Do you give Garden/house tours? I'm in.

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  31. Beautiful. Just beyond beautiful- I love zinnias so and now petunias! What a gift you have!

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  32. This could not be prettier I have never seen such a lovely greenhouse.

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  33. Wow. It took my breath away. Have to share this link with others! Thank you for sharing such beauty today.

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  34. Was the greenhouse a custom build or a prefab? Can you pass along any information about where we could obtain one of a similar design?

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  35. Now that you've heard this a thousand times... amazing! I must know who designed your greenhouse! I want one...I keep thinking I'm just going to buy a greenhouse kit, but now I'm thinking I want something like this!

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  36. There's nothing I can say that hasn't been said already...lovely, lovely, lovely. Where can I find the building plans so I can start dreaming?!

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  37. Beautiful! Looks like it should be on a magazine cover

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  38. Oh! My! What an amazing sight to see! Thanks so much sharing it with us all. Your greenhouse is such a delight!

    It's always so sad to know the end of gardening season is just around the corner. It is nice for a little break and come spring gardening fear will have us all within it's grip.

    Zinna's are also one of my favorites. I've been telling myself to get out to the garden to snip a few for the house before it's too late and the frost gets them. Next summer I'll have to try the cactus zinna's - I'm fascinated

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  39. Oh, it comes
    much too soon
    here in MN, too!
    My zinnias are
    still going strong;
    I put the petunias
    out to pasture last
    week and replaced
    them with mums : )
    Good old zinnias....
    You've got to love 'em!
    xx Suzanne

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  40. You absolutely have the most exquisite lil' greenhouse I've ever seen and the flowers - stunning! Thanks for sharing your beautiful blooms!

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  41. Your gardens are amazing! I live in Hades (Phoenix, AZ) and will never be able to grow anything besides cactus, and I don't mean the Zinnia variety! I have been visiting your blog regularly and am truly amazed by your talents. Please keep up the good work, I look forward to reading your posts and seeing your beautiful pictures!

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  42. Good Morning Meadowbrook--how do you care for your soil? i notice everything is "flourishing" and i am sure things have individual needs--how do you get that "well rounded" or all purpose soil rhonda

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  43. Gorgeous! I think you should do a gardening post and let us all in on your secrets. My garden was a pitiful mess this year. :(

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  44. I love LOVE LOVE the greenhouse! I hope you will share more! I want to have my yard look like this... anything you could share would be awesome. I love my flowers but they are nothing compared to yours.. Thanks for enlightening us on what a greenhouse and yard CAN be!

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  45. I am sitting here reading, enjoying the pictures and post so very much! I'm also taken with the clean lines of your blog and loving no ads, no clutter, not even a follow button...now I see Subscribe by email at the bottom of the page and you can be certain I will do that. Come visit Granny Mountain!

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  46. You have the most breathtaking gardens that I have ever seen. I have to say, if I had that kind of green thumb, I would be a slave to my property delightedly.

    Thank you so much for sharing these. If I were you, I'd have them blown up to poster size and put them inside to remind me of Summer all winter long.

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  47. so thrilled to have found your blog through farmpatch farmgirl, I feel like you are a kindred spirit! I also lamented the loss of Starbucks but now wouldn't trade it for all the coffee beans in NYC!
    Blessings!

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  48. Amazing! The greenhouse and the photos. I am insanely jealous!! You are so lucky and obviously have a green thumb.

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  49. You have such a cute farm there! And your flowers are gorgeous. I didn't know you could over-winter so many of them!

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  50. You really own that greenhouse? That's something I could only dream of. It's absolutely beautiful. YOu have done a lovely job with the landscaping. It makes me want to come and visit and I would totally stay in the greenhouse. Just give me a bedroll and I'd be happy! He-He!

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  51. Hi, This is my first visit. Can I whine and say I wanna see the inside of the greenhouse?? More photos please. And no worries about the best shots of the petunias and your admission about your less than stellar gardening practices. You're in good company. I admit to showing my "best" photos during the cold dreary months when I need them the most. It's all good.

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  52. Oh my, your greenhouse is amazing! Not just those beautiful flowers, but the whole design is really perfect! And that grass...I can just imagine wandering around barefooted watering the posies! Can I move in...pretty please?!

    Kat :)

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  53. Wow - your greenhouse is just beautiful! I love the way you've accented it with your lovely flowers - such a feature!

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  54. I can't believe you summer is already over! I'm scared for when I move to Lakeside Montana, how will I know what to do about plants, I might be calling you. Here is Florida the only thing you do is put blankets over everything for the one night it might freeze and you better get them off in the morning or the sun will bake them through the blanket.
    And we don't get the beautiful blooms you get so I'm looking forward to that.
    Enjoy your Wednesday!
    KarenSue

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  55. Your green house is lovely. I do envy having one. Your plants look so lush and healthy. I realize fertilizing is the key.

    I am in southern Alabama and it is still extremely hot and we are experiencing a severe drought. All I can say is your picture is so refreshing!

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  56. I'm a little late in posting a comment here, but just found this...and am in LOVE with your little greenhouse! Thank you for posting that! :)

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  57. Hi there...Just came across your by blog & saw your beautiful garden. You should visit my blog & link up to Cottage Flora Thursdays....? I've been looking for other gardeners to join in my garden party! xoox

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  58. Wow, that greenhouse! It takes my breath away. So so lovely xo

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  59. Waaayyy too sweet but I think I've told you that before! I just had to link it to my gardening post too today, it's inspiring!

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  60. This is such a beautiful space - a beautiful corner of the world and I wish I lived close by and could visit in person! just Beautiful!!

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  61. What a gorgeous collection of colours and imagination - see You don't have to buy NEW. Absolutey sold on the wagon with flowers makes you feel HAPPY <3

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  62. This is utterly gorgeous! Well done :)

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