Slow But Sure

We had round two of company last weekend. Ron's father and step-mother came for a visit. I should have been washing windows or baking but I was finishing up the new bed the morning of the day they arrived. It has been a slow project and is still in progress but I thought it would be fun to show you the before and after......

This is what the greenhouse looked like five years ago... It was a one time chicken coupe converted to a greenhouse in need of a lot of work!

When we first bought the place we had a lot of work to do (we still do for that matter but not like then.) Anyway, we knew the structure had potential and wanted to save it so we put a new roof on the first summer we were here and then let it sit. We figured the rest could wait. The next year, Ron scraped it, painted it and replaced the windows. The windows were rotted so he took the old ones from the the house and put them in the greenhouse. He had to build a frame for the windows so they would fit. I was quite impressed as this was one of his first "do it yourself" projects. I think he surprised himself as well!


This is what it looks like today with the new roof, windows and the bed we just put in. It doesn't match the vision I have in my mind yet but I am pleased to have the idea a reality.

The pictures didn't come out great but you may be able to see what's in there. Most are "passalong plants" but I did add a few new ones. My big purchase was the three blue delphiniums in the back left corner. I really hope they do well in this location, I love tall plants with shorter ones in front. I also planted three pink dahlias, some yellow daylilys, black eyed susans, a yellow iris, a painted daisy, hot pink thrift and marine bells in the front. I got "a tall white plant that is pretty" from the garden club plant exchange. I have no idea what it will look like or it's name but it's there in the back.

The iris' on the right side were there so I left them as is for now. I wanted something in the back so it wasn't just window and put in the line of fever few. Now that they are in there, I wish I had planted them in a clump but I will see how things look as the get more established. Apple gave me some scarlet sage she started from seed. They seem to be doing fine. You can't really see them but they are in front of the fever few. She also have me two datura. One doesn't look like it will make it but the other might. I hope that takes off; it will be the eye catcher of that part of the garden! She also gave me some foxglove. Two are from last year and two from this year so I am hoping for blooms this year from at least one. I had a few things that were in front of the windows that I just moved into the bed but I can't remember what they were, one has been nibbled on so I will have to wait and see. There is a columbine in the front, some sundrops and more marine bells. This is the fist year I have used the marine bells and I'm looking forward to seeing how they spread.


Now we just need to tackle the inside. I am also thinking of a stone entrance by the door....