Re: Isabelle's questions

Whether or not you heat a greenhouse really depends on what you want
to use it for.  If overwintering potted normally hardy stuff, you
don't really need to heat it - as Claire said, it becomes a sort of
walk-in cold frame; if you want to propagate or grow stuff, you will
need some heat.  You don't need a lot; just to keep it about 40F, but
some.  Glass and plastic heat up dramatically during the day and
require ventilation but lose that heat really fast at night when it's
cold outside.

I absolutely agree with Claire - if at all possible, connect your
greenhouse to your house or garage or someplace you can get to in
winter without having to go outside.  Also, a source of water is
*really* handy as is an electrical outlet for fans and lights if you
want to work in it at all:-)  

I got my greenhouse from a company in Vermont; it's plastic, designed
to shed snow - you might think of that in lieu of glass.

Also agree with Claire that woody blooming plants - shrubs or small
trees  and vines - sure make caring for a garden easier...most are
virtually no care plants tho' some benefit from a haircut now and
then...and propagating your own is fun:-)

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: ECPep@aol.com
> 
>> I have always wanted to know how greenhouses work; whether they
have to
>> have some heat so that inside it doesn't freeze.  We're thinking
of
>> putting glass walls and roof over the tomato garden, which gets a
lot of
>> sun, even in the winter.  But it's far from the house and there's
no way
>> to heat it.>>>>>
> 
> Bearing in mind that mine is an amateur operation I have a comment
or two on 
> your plan.  Being here in upstate New York, it will snow some years
so much 
> that a trip to this small glass house you propose will be such a
chore, you 
> will grow to hate it.  Something attached to your house is far
easier to care 
> for.  If you have  porch or part of your house,  installing roof
windows and 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
> A final note on propagating shrubs.  I think if you add shrubs to
all garden, 
> flowering or varigated shrubs, you will as you grow older have
flowering 
> plants needing little care as you the perennials shrink from care
needed.  
> That was my plan or sort of plan and I have amazed myself at what I
can do 
> with cuttings.  A cold frame to protect young plants in our climate
is a 
> useful thing. I never thought I would overproduce.  Right now I
have the 
> dwarf Weigela "Nikko"in a row in the veg frames, about twenty of
them.  One 
> never knows what the outcome will be.   I always set many more
cuttings than 
> I need and when there is a great success, there are all these
plants.

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