Greenhouse

“ CONTRASTED with the bleakness without, the greenhouses and conservatory possess an additional charm. Within their walls of glass reigns a luxuriance of leaf and bloom. Like the garden, however, the greenhouse will not care for itself. ”

“ It is plain common sense that the ideal greenhouse is one in which the light is most nearly that which exists outside, and in which the heat is as evenly distributed. It is practical experience that a structure with as few angles and turns m it as possible and with a minimum of woodwork in its superstructure, best answers these conditions.... Greenhouse building has developed into a special industry, and the modern American greenhouse is the highest type of construction. ”

“ I am beginning to think that the tenderness of tea-roses is much exaggerated, and am certainly very glad I had the courage to try them in this northern garden. But I must not fly too boldly in the face of Providence, and have ordered those in the boxes to be taken into the greenhouse for the winter, and hope the Bouquet d’Or, in a sunny place near the glass, may be induced to open some of those buds. The greenhouse is only used as a refuge, and kept at a temperature just above freezing, and is reserved entirely for such plants as cannot stand the very coldest part of the winter out of doors. ”

“ The common greenhouse has a brick wall at the back, with a glass roof at an angle of about 45°, and upright glass at the front and sides. The plants are grown in pots placed on a stage or range of wooden shelves rising one above another, with a path all round, and a shelf for the plants under the glass in front. All the sashes are made [Pg 198] to open, as it is essential that there should be a free circulation of air; and so little fire is necessary, that one fireplace will be sufficient to heat a greenhouse from thirty to forty feet long, and from twelve to fifteen feet wide. ”

“ It will be well for those who study economy to remember that a very plain substantial house, thoroughly adapted for plant culture, will always look respectable, even if it is not decorated like a pavilion or pagoda; and its use will justify it far more satisfactorily than any amount of ornament. There are some grand conservatories in the land in which nothing of a vegetable nature except mildew will thrive, and not a few very humble greenhouses in which plants grow as if by magic, and provide their owners with an endless variety of priceless (though costless) pleasures. ”

“ The Greenhouse is a structure designed for the growth of such exotic plants as require to be kept during winter in a temperature considerably above the freezing-point. The best form is the span-roofed, a single span being better even than a series of spans such as form the ridge-and-furrow roof. For plant culture, houses at a comparatively low pitch are better than higher ones where the plants have to stand at a greater distance from the glass, and therefore in greater gloom. Fig. 3 represents a convenient form of greenhouse. It is 20 ft. ”

“ Fifty years ago the greenhouse was the luxury of the rich. It was kept to grow exotic plants for pleasure. But nowadays its use begins to be generalized. A tremendous industry has grown up lately in Guernsey and Jersey, where hundreds of acres are already covered with glass—to say nothing of the countless small greenhouses kept in every little farm garden. ”

“ Flower Garden and Greenhouse.—Window and greenhouse plants require more water and ventilation. Due attention must be paid to shifting well-rooted plants into larger pots; and, if space is desired, many kinds of hardier plants can be safely put out in cold frames. Towards the end of the month it may be necessary slightly to shade the glass of the greenhouse. All herbaceous plants and hardy shrubs may be planted in the garden. The covering of leaves or litter should be taken off bulbs and tender plants that were covered up for winter, so that the beds can be lightly forked and raked. ”

“ The greenhouse will always be a refuge to you from the wind; which, on the contrary, you ought to be able to bear; and will tempt you into clippings and pottings and pettings, and mere standing dilettantism in a damp and over-scented room, instead of true labour in fresh air.
Secondly.—It will not only itself involve unnecessary expense— (for the greenhouse is sure to turn into a hothouse in the end; and even if not, is always having its panes broken, or its blinds going wrong, or its stands getting rickety) ”

“ A very good practical rule would be for none of us to venture upon such gardening until he is well able to keep up an adequate greenhouse. A formal garden without a greenhouse or two—or three—is a glorious army on a war footing, but without a base of supplies. It is largely his greenhouses which make the public gardener and the commercial florist so misleading an example for the cottager to follow in his private gardening. ”

“ Camellias.—The best soil for these beautiful greenhouse evergreens is a mixture of rough peat, plenty of sand, and a little turfy loam. The greenhouse should be kept rather close, at a temperature of 55 degrees to 60 degrees, while the plants are growing; but abundant syringing is necessary at all times. Induce a vigorous growth of wood, and let this be well matured by exposure to the sun and free ventilation. Old and straggling plants may be renovated by cutting them hard back as soon as they go out of flower, and placing them in a warm house where a moist atmosphere is maintained. ”

“ The proper place for statices through the summer, is undoubtedly the conservatory or greenhouse. Though they are very properly classed with greenhouse plants, it will be found that they do better in an intermediate house through the winter, where a mean temperature of 45° is maintained. As decorative plants, they are invaluable, for they last good a long time, and are moreover particularly useful for mixing with other everlasting flowers for making up vases for winter decorations, their colours being so distinct from everything else in the same way. ”

“ The conservatory has all the plants growing in the soil, instead of being in pots and placed on shelves. It is generally more lofty and architectural than a greenhouse, and of much greater extent; and it is frequently attached to the house, being so contrived that it can be entered from one of the living-rooms. The temperature of the conservatory is generally rather warmer than that of the common greenhouse, as it is kept at 60° during the day, and seldom allowed to fall lower than 40° at night. ”

“ Once these seedlings were transplanted to the garden, we dismantled our temporary greenhouse, filled the spot with topsoil, and made a flower bed. I’ve seen several small greenhouses like the one we improvised on sale commercially, one, of metal and glass, selling for less than ten dollars.
Improvised greenhouse costing $00.00 which saved author, shown in photograph, at least a hundred dollars per annum in the cost of annuals
Greenhouse construction diagram
Indoors or out, seeds germinate best in clean, sifted soil that is light and porous and drains perfectly. ”

“ The rose is not a greenhouse plant, but we shall never tire of seeing roses in the greenhouse and conservatory, provided they are well grown and flower early. If these two conditions are not fulfilled, roses under glass are simply out of place, and the amateur would save worry and vexation by quietly consigning his greenhouse roses to the fire when a general burning of rubbish takes place. ”

“ Large or small, a greenhouse garden, like any other, should be designed carefully and never planted until you have the plan firmly in mind. Each plant should be given room in relation to all the others, and not merely at planting time but with maturity time in mind. Allow plenty of space for spreaders to spread and creepers to creep; and make sure every climber has its support. And, of course, plants in close proximity should have compatible cultural preferences in soil, moisture, light, and the like. ”

“ They will grow in smoky districts, and may be increased by cuttings of firm side-shoots under a glass in summer or by layers in September. With the protection of a greenhouse they come into flower early in spring. They are the most beautiful of all flowering hardy climbers. The stove and greenhouse varieties are best planted in loam and peat, though they will thrive in any light soil. Any good garden soil suits the hardy kinds. The herbaceous varieties are increased by dividing the roots early in spring. They bloom at various periods. ”

“ A complete treatise on greenhouse structures and arrangements of the various forms and styles of plant houses for professional florists as well as amateurs. All the best and most approved structures are so fully and clearly described that anyone who desires to build a greenhouse will have no difficulty in determining the kind best suited to his purpose. The modern and most successful methods of heating and ventilating are fully treated upon. Special chapters are devoted to houses used for the growing of one kind of plants exclusively. ”

“ Mrs. Ernesta Ballard has a small tropical greenhouse so realistically [65] planted you feel as if you are in an exotic jungle the minute you step inside the door. But both of these places lack one important asset—room for the rocking chair and the radio with its soft music, things I hope I won’t have to be without.
A miniature garden in a glass-covered terrarium
This complete greenhouse garden may not appeal to you, or it may not be practical or possible. ”

“ Those who have not convenience for forcing may have a fine display early in the season by simply keeping them in the greenhouse from the time they are potted until they come into bloom. Of course they should be placed in an out-of-the-way corner until the young growth begins to push, and then they should be placed in a position near the glass. ”

“ The mats they are covered with during the night must never be removed till the frost is well off the grass, say about 11 a.m., as a sudden thaw makes terrible havoc.
The great point to remember when about to indulge in a greenhouse is this: unless sufficient time and trouble can be given to make it worth while, it is better to spend the money on the outdoor department, which to a certain extent takes care of itself. Where there is leisure to attend to a greenhouse, however, few things will give more return for the care spent on it. ”

“ It is well also to select, if possible, a site adapted for a range of houses, should it be some day hence determined to increase the area of glass. We never know what our desires and intentions may be to-morrow or the day after next, and therefore, though it may seem at this moment that the greenhouse in course of erection will suffice for the rest of our lives, we may in a year or so propose to build another, and perhaps yet another, and be compelled to plant them in all sorts of odd corners, where they will be difficult to get at, and, perhaps, impossible to heat them all with one boiler. ”

“ Now, the apparent difficulty may be disposed of by remembering that abundance of light and a constantly moving atmosphere are the two chief requisites to be provided for in the construction of a plant-house, no matter whether we call it a stove, a greenhouse, or a conservatory. Darkness, stagnant air, and keen draughts, are the principal enemies of plants that are shut up in houses, and it is compatible with the highest elegance of design, and the most artistic finish of detail, to ensure the best possible protection for them against these destructive agencies. ”

“ A warm greenhouse will suit them better than a stove. H. Ghiesbreghti is a fine conservatory plant, with spiny recurved leaves of a rich green colour tipped with purple.
Palms.—Are less cared for by amateurs than they deserve to be, for if prudently selected and favoured with a little commonplace attention they contribute in a material degree to the dignity and variety of the conservatory. ”

“ Leonard Barron, in the Garden Magazine, says: "The best type of greenhouse for all-round purposes is unquestionably what is known as the even span—that is, a house in which the roof is in the form of an inverted V, so as to be exposed as much as possible to sunlight, and having the ridge-pole in the center. All other types of houses are modifications from the simplest form, and are designed in some way or other to fit some special requirements. These requirements may be: the cultural necessities for some particular crop ”

“ A greenhouse in a corner may be snug and useful, but for superior plant-growing there is nothing like a roomy and airy space on a dry subsoil, or, if the situation is low and damp, on a raised and well-drained platform.
The span-roofed house with low pitch of roof is to be preferred for all general purposes; but the lean-to is not to be despised. One advantage of the lean-to is that it turns to good account the shelter and warmth of an existing wall, and in proportion to the covered area is cheaper than a span. ”

“ This reminds me that the dark parts of a greenhouse should never be wasted, as, besides their use in bringing up bulbs, ferns can be grown for cutting, and such things as rhubarb, may be readily forced there. Frames are very useful and fairly cheap, though it is best to get them set with 21-oz. glass, or they will not last long. Seedlings may be brought up in them with greater success than if in a greenhouse, and a supply of violets may be kept up in them during the coldest weather. ”

“ A warm greenhouse will be the most suitable position both for the seed-pots and the young plants until they become well established. Leaf propagation is effected by snipping off the small leaves from the flowering stems, and then inserting them in cutting pots prepared in the usual way. It is necessary to insert the base of each leaf in the sand, and to prevent the leaves becoming loose thrust a small piece of stick through them, to fix them firmly in the soil. ”