HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-05-10, Page 45qk
HOME' & GARDEN IMPRQVEMEN.WEEK OF MAY 7,:11119 — 1i
When yqu build your bwn
greenhouse, you can create,
canexotic garden where you
arvest fresh tomatoes in
March, grow poinsettias for
December and raise orchids
while the snow falls outside,.
You might think that such,
a magical world would be. •
elaborate, expensive and dif-
ficult to build.
The truth is that the
modern greenhouse .is sim-
ple,
practical and easy to
construct, according to the
new Ortho book, "How To
Build And Use Green-
houses:'
Amongthe variety of
styles designed to fit yow-
1 , THE ATTACHED
• The attached greenhouse
is proving increasingly popu-
• lar, It can be heated easily
from the house, and solar
heal gained in the greenhouse
can be transferred to the
main, house,
Water and electricity are
nearby and: it is within easy
reach regardless of the,
weather outside. In effect, it:
needs, whether you live in
Alabama or Minnesota, there
are easy -to -build sttuctures
that can be put up in' a
weekend ---and at small cost,
And greenhouses can go.
Virtually anywhere there is
space, They can be built in•a
window, on a balcony or ter-
race, fn thebackyard or over
several acres.
There are a variety, of
greenhouse styles, Which
you' choose will depend on.
such things as how perma-
nent you want it to be,
whether it is attached to the
house or freestanding, and
what type of snow loads exist
in your part of the country.
GREENHOUSE.
can become a beautiful ex-
tension of the house.
C ARCH..
• THE GOTHI
This model' is lovely to
look at and: well-suited to
areas ` where there is just
enough winter freezing to be
troublesome to your plants or
small potted fruit trees.
However, it is a challeng-
-ing project for the home
craftsman because the layout
and lamination of the arches
take time.;,
•
a wee en
THE A -FRAME..
This is one of the simplest
to construct and can be put.
,together in a weekend.
It can be built to relatively
small size and its light weight
makes it portable. However,
it also can be placedon a
conventional foundation.
Its design, makes it particu-
larly,useful in areas that get
heavy snow,
The base is made from four
10 -foot pieces of 2 x 6 red
Wood or treated fir. For. the
rafters and end walls, you
need fifteen 10 -foot lengths
of 2 x 3. The ridge board and
door are made from 1 x 4.
To provide proper venting,
put in a 10 -inch diameter fan
above the door and a lou-
vered opening of the same
size at the opposite end of the
greenhouse.
A bench across the far end
will provide you with good
working space and ample
headroom.
THE FREE-STANDING
• EVEN SPAN GABLE.
This is.bably the most
atypical and usable shape to
build. The 'nterior space lay-
out is very practical, and
there's easy access for a
loaded wheelbarrow through
a door at either end.
Once you'Ve decided: on.
the style you want to build,
you'll have to choose a cov-
ering. ,Glass is one of the
best, suggests the Ortho
book, because it allowsyou
to see ,into : and out of your
greenhouse.
glass covering can be.
easily shaded from too much
sunlight, is easy to; clean, has
no loss in. light transmission.
and is resistant to scratching.
A more expensive cover-
ing is acrylic, which is half
the weight of glass and much
more resilient. Acrylic al-
lows 90-95 percent of availa-
ble light into °••yopr^ :green,
house and retains its clarity
for at least 15 years.
Fiberglass covering iS
popular because it's so easy
to handle, But check with.
your building supplier to
make sure the panels are
specially treated' to prevent
fiberglass• fromexpanding
and trapping dirt, which will.
obstruct light from your
greenhouse.
The cheapest but least re-
siliant material is polyeth
ylene film, which really
makes a better temporary
covering for a greenhouse
d'u ing the winter.
Untess, treated, however,
polyethylene can bede-
stroyed by ultraviolet rays. A.
more practical use for this
plastic film might be as a lin-
ing for the inside of your
greenhouse walls to reduce
heat loss.
:Now that you know what's
available in greenhouses,
you can build your own, with,
the helpof a good book like
Ortho's "How To Build
And Use Greenhouses:'
Once it's finished, you're;
ready to decorate making use
of your favorite flowers,
foliage plants, fruits and veg-
etables.
With a little imagination
you can create a.wild tropical'
paradise, a quiet country
garden, a health food&.
paradises. orany special'
world that pleases you..
Geraniums 1.
are easy
an d f^icwer
011' season
The versatile geranium
can play a part in any
garden, and will, flower all
season longwith little atten-
tion.
One, way to ensure a good'
supply of geraniums for this..
year's garden is to ' take.
cuttings from overwintered'
plants, says Buss. Gomm,
Ontario Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Food horticulturist.
The traditional method of
'overwintering geraniums is
to hang plants in a cool, dark
place in the . fall; • In early .
spring, the plants are potted,
watered, and'cut back. After
new growth begins, plants
are replanted into the gar -
However, Mr..Gomme;..
says a more vigorous plant
can beproduced' by taking:
cuttings from these over-
wintered plants..
Water the old plants, and
when new shoots grow; take
cuttings about 15 cm longi
, Remove the lower leaves
from the cutting; and dip the..
"end in a 'fungicide such as
Captan. Plant cuttings about
5 cm deep and 5cm apart in a
15 cm flower pot.
Mr. Gonne recommends
usingasoil mixture of coarse
sand,
using, soil
with peat moss
or vermiculite. Water the soil
mixture thoroughly, and •
place the container ina clear
plastic bag under a ;lighting
unit or in a window protected
from direct sunlight.
"Once the cuttings have
rooted, apply a weak fertil-
izer," says Mr. Gotnme
"Cuttings should be : ready
for transplanting in about
one month."
e season :for fixinc
19
rg
' RUGGED CHAIN.
(DRIVE TiLLERS.
QUALITY LAWN
MOWERS
ECONOMICALLY
PRICED
Seaforth, Ontario
Massey -Ferguson
.. 'MILE! AREAL, •
PERFORMANCE;
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MOWER''
1
Telephone 527-1267