Greenhouse and Propagation

by | Aug 23, 2020 | Design, In the Garden, Propagation

All year round our greenhouse keeps our household protected and in comfort. It serves multiple functions: a place for drying clothes all year round. A pocket of warm air to heat the passive areas of our house such as the lounge room and bathroom. It’s where I propagate my cuttings and where sowed seeds in trays are placed. A place for growing and harvesting all year round.

Clothes drying in the windy wet of winter is now done in the greenhouse. Electrical clothes dryers use heaps of electricity, are expensive to run and burn lots of fossil fuels.
Lime tree in a raised garden bed.
Babaco in the opposite corner produces mild cantelope flavoured fruits.
Babaco fruit in the greenhouse
Raised garden.

This raised bed sits in front of our bathroom window. On the other side of the glass is our bath tub looking out onto lemongrass and brussel sprouts.

Now that our garden is a little more established I am able to take cuttings from it to propagate the next generation of garden plants.
Nettle and broccoli.

In this raised bed nettles grow. They are a wild edible that has made its home in this bed. I am extremely happy with it because it’s life cycle perfectly suits my needs. While I wait for the brassica to grow, I get to harvest fresh soft nettle leaves for our lunch and dinner. I simply confidently hold onto the nettle head and cut just below the top leaves. I have added these lush green leaves to risottos, stews and pasta dishes.

Awaiting germination.

It never fails to make me feel really good, this cycle of germination. Every year sowing and planting is an exercise in hope. I have two steel racks above one of the greenhouse beds. All the water from the seeds above, feeds the plants below.

In this corner tumeric is growing. The leaves struggle in our cold winters.
Peas. These will be transplanted inside the greenhouse.
Outside in ORTO Two lots and lots of peas.
Garlic rows. I really love growing garlic.
Artichoke lane. These provide a winter wind break. I want to grow another two or three rows.
New tunnels to give us some help during long windy winters. I am working constantly towards more wind breaks and more microclimates.
Greenhouse details.
Peg holds tension wires down. The plastic can be slipped up and down. I push the plastic back when the rains come and close it when the rain leaves.

4 Comments

  1. Lydia Kirk

    Love this story. How do you make the greenhouse tunnels. Or do you buy them. Unsure how they actually work and hold plastic in place so well.

    Reply
    • Mara

      Hello Lydia…we bought them from RedPath in Bendigo…call me if you would like to know more. Much love to you, mara

      Reply
  2. Nadia Stockman

    Hi, did you build your greenhouse yourselves? Would be interested in finding out more. Many thanks, Nadia

    Reply
    • Mara

      Hello Nadia, great to hear from you…yes we did build it ourselves…we are hosting a tour of our property in February…see our workshops tab should you wish to join us. Much care, mara

      Reply

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