The Greenhouse/Potting Shed/She Shed

 

 

 

It has been two winter seasons since the greenhouse/potting shed has been completed and I thought I would share some of things I’ve learned. As always, I look forward to others ideas as well.
 

My husband had wanted to buy a greenhouse kit and assemble it for me years ago but I had always declined.  I didn’t want to waste space in my garden with a greenhouse, and I can't bear how oppressively hot greenhouses become in the summer.    But as I got more involved with winter gardening, I thought it was time to reconsider.  I wanted a greenhouse that was a combination potting shed and greenhouse.  I also wanted to remove the front windows during the summer and be able to plant directly in the greenhouse. You can see the beginning phase of the greenhouse on this blog “Recycling – Potting Station” page. 

I enjoy using recycled items and turning them into something sensational.  I had found an appealing greenhouse idea on Pinterest which I used as my inspiration.  My challenge was to try to build the greenhouse for under $250.  Yes, I was delusional.  I was able to get the windows at the ReStore for $5 a piece, and I did have some leftover wood from our renovation, but we had to buy considerably more than I expected.  I stopped using the costs spreadsheet when I hit $750.  At the end it probably costs just under $1000.  Just be prepared to spend more than you originally thought, but it’s worth every penny.

The first winter we had used the greenhouse, we had record snowfall here in the Northeast.  On two separate occasions, we had full week of no sun, which didn’t allow the greenhouse to warm up during the day.  I did make three terra-cotta space heaters which did increase the temperature in the greenhouse by a few degrees, but the candles last approximately four hours, so unless you get up in the middle of the night or get an electric heater, I wouldn’t expect the plants to survive.  Obviously, nothing is going to survive in those frigid temperatures. 

Terra-cotta Space Heater

 

 I also used floating row covers, a lightweight fabric which can be purchased in any garden center.  These covers allow 70% of light transfer, traps the sun’s heat, and increases the soil temperature a few degrees.  Even during one particular evening when the temperature dipped to 0°, the plants were fine.  I also recommend placing plastic milk containers filled with water near the plants to help retain heat during the evening.  The sun’s warmth heats the jugs during the day and releases that heat back into the greenhouse during the evening.  By experimenting, I found that milk jugs I had spray painted black were less likely to have any freezing and retained the most warmth.  Be sure to have an easily readable thermometer in your greenhouse.

Not only will you love your greenhouse, so will the little critters.  And not only will they love living in the greenhouse, they will love munching on the plants.  They ended up eating everything in the greenhouse.  I had better luck with the cloches which they did not touch.  But, you have to admit they are cute.  I plan to make some wire cover-cages and see how that works out next winter.

 

The bottom line is, and as much as I hate to admit it,  I should have listened to my husband and let him build me a greenhouse long ago.  It's my favorite play space.  I'm in it every day.

 

 

Small Batch Blueberry Jam

Small Batch Blueberry Jam

 

 

A recent visit to Haymarket resulted in purchasing a carton of blueberries at a steal.  I almost felt guilty.  I love interacting with the vendors, and my blueberry vendor had personality plus, a joy to talk to and do business with.  I knew the blueberries had been in the heat all day and would be a little worse for wear, but we love blueberries and they would be used in no time. 

 

I asked my husband if he had any preferences.  I made blueberry sauce for waffles, blueberry pancakes, blueberry salsa, blueberry muffins . . . you know, the usual.  What does he ask for?  Blueberry jam. 



 

I’ve never made blueberry jam before, and I don’t have canning equipment, so I thought I’d just do a small batch.  I looked at many recipes, but they either had too much sugar, too many ingredients or needed pectin.  I eliminated recipes with pectin because blueberries already have pectin in them, so why bother?  Also, most recipes had a ton of sugar.  I prefer a jam that tasted as naturally blueberry as possible.  So I decided to give it a whirl and make my own concoction.  It came out perfect so I thought I’d share.

 

 Small Batch Blueberry Jam

 

 4 Cups fresh blueberries

 

1 Cup sugar

 

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

Generous pinch of cinnamon

 

 Mix all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Using a potato masher, give the mixture a good mashing. Cook over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Before & After

 

That’s all there is to it.  Simple. 

• Be sure to stir constantly so the jam doesn’t burn. 
• It makes a smidgeon over a 1 cup of jam.  
• The blueberry skins do break down, but if you would like a smoother jam, you can use your immersion blender. 
• The jam should be good for a month, if it lasts that long.

Enjoy!