A Little Tour of my Greenhouse
After Hurricane Sandy struck, I spent quite a bit of time at my home in Bedford. With so many trees and power lines down, driving was difficult and dangerous. It also didn't help that our offices in Manhattan are located in the part of the city that lost power and we were shut down for several days. One of the things that I did at home was to go through the greenhouse and clean and trim back the plants. This is a job I really enjoy, as I get to take stock of what's growing well and what's not.
1 The main entrance to the greenhouse is front and center.
2 Upon entering this large glass house, these are the plants to the left. This side is my collection of ferns, begonias, clivia, and orchids.
3 To the right are plants that require less moisture, such as cacti, succulents, bromeliads, and standard topiaries.
4 The plants sit upon long tables. The center tables are equipped with a roller mechanism, causing them to slide, allowing for three aisle options.
5 Suspended from above are nighttime lights and circulation fans. There are also folded up shade covers which unfurl during the hot summer months. The glass roof panes vent open and shut thermostatically.
6 There are also grow lights when days are shorter.
7 On the backside of the greenhouse is the headhouse with an office, a deep sink, and a potting area.
8 These are some of the cuttings I made, which need to be potted up. Most of these will take root for use in containers next spring.
9 The plants photographed here are aeonium, bromeliad, and tibouchina grandiflora.
10 The purple rosette leaves of aeonium
11 A green aeonium, also known as the saucer-plant.
12 A better look at the bromeliad with its tiger-stripe leaves. The pineapple is also a bromeliad.
13 A purple flowering bromeliad
14 A better look at the tibouchina grandiflora - This fuzzy leafed tropical produces an abundance of deep intense purple flowers.
15 Two large pygmy date palms are positioned at one end.
16 The pygmy date, or phoenix roebelenii, is a popular tropical ornamental plant. As its name suggests, it produces small, thin-fleshed dates.
17 This fleshy plant is a member of the crassula family, a large genus of succulent plants containing many species.
18 Jade plants are also in the crassula family and this large specimen is just about ready to bloom with tiny white flowers.
19 This is an agave plant, which looks a lot like a hedgehog.
20 This is my collection of standard topiaries. I am growing bay, lemon cypress, brush cherry, and myrtle.
21 Lemon cypress is coniferous evergreen tree that has greenish-yellow foliage. The leaves give off a lemony fragrance, especially when cut, which is one reason I love it.
22 The compact rosettes of fleshy echeveria
23 I have quite a few interesting cactus.
24 With all its white hair, the old man cactus is fittingly named. It looks so fuzzy and soft, but watch out! The hair conceals really sharp thorns. It also shades the plant from the desert sun.
25 Pretty to look at, but don't touch!
26 A cactus with very interesting patterns and textures
27 Stay away from this one!
28 There are several plants that have been rooted for use in containers in the spring. Some plants root quite easily, like this flat of aeonium.
29 And these echevaria
30 And agave
31 And these mixed succulents - With very little effort, we save a lot of money by rooting plants ourselves.
32 This column is topped with a split leaf philodendron, a burro's tail succulent, and a rhipsalis or mistletoe cacti.
33 The other column is decorated a piece of tree bark upon which orchids and Spanish moss are growing. These plants are epiphytes and grow this way in nature.
34 This is a begonia soli-mutata.
35 A beautiful red-leafed begonia
36 An iron cross begonia
37 Lovely ferns
38 A variegated pteris fern
39 And delicate maidenhair ferns
40 Not too many orchids are blooming right now except for this gorgeous one! It's an intergeneric oncidium - 'Pacific Sun Spots'.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Martha, you are so very Blessed. What beauty and...a place to keep them safe.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | November 7th, 2012 at 12:49 am
Thanx for great pictures, what a lovely place to spend time and stay away from the city after Sandy. Greenhouse is filled with treasures and loved photos/
Posted by: ann | November 7th, 2012 at 3:41 am
Good morning Martha, beautiful collection of plants and photos. I love your greenhouse
Posted by: Rowaidaa Flayhan | November 7th, 2012 at 5:12 am
I needed that. You identified a few plants that I have or have seen but didn't know their names. Thanks!
Posted by: Janette@The2Seasons | November 7th, 2012 at 8:03 am
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog. Hope power at your offices and home are restored soon.
Posted by: KLBrown | November 7th, 2012 at 9:00 am
Hi Martha:
Very glad you cameback to PBS I have been watching your new cooking school and I love it. thank you
Martha you are so blessed to be surrounded by beautiful things, plants, animals etc. may God continue to bless you and yours.
Your biggest fan,
diana
Posted by: diana escobar | November 7th, 2012 at 9:22 am
I like your flowers, and I like your things and your ideas.
Thanks!!!
I was born in Spain.I admirate you Martha.
See you!!!
Posted by: imma balsells i fabregat | November 7th, 2012 at 9:45 am
Hi Martha, I thank God that you, your animals, and all of your farm helpers have survived that awful Sandy Hurricane! Haven't heard anything about Alexis, Jude, and Truman, but they must be fine, also! Did they lose power, also? It's so great to finally have another blog and I have enjoyed all of your tweets you have shared with us! How great that you were able to do something you really enjoyed even while your power was out! Working outside on my garden areas and yards is one of my favorite things to do, also! It's so fun to see your beautiful greenhouse again and I have always loved seeing and hearing about you beautiful plants and I sure wish I had a fantastic greenhouse like yours! I love the information about every thing inside there and it all looks fabulous! I recall every plant you shared and all of the pots are beautiful, also! It will be fun to see more of your farm as time goes by! I know your workers will do a great job cleaning it up! Sure hope you don't get a lot pf rain, wind, and snow in the next few days! Sure hope you have a great day, today! Off to see The Daily Wag about "The Great Squirrel Chase!" Jan PS-So happy about Obama!
Posted by: Jan Erickson | November 7th, 2012 at 10:11 am
I can't thank you enough for sharing all your beautiful homes with us. It is such a joy to be allowed to go around your farms and see the beauty of the seasons. I love starting my day on your web site.
Posted by: LB WALL | November 7th, 2012 at 10:22 am
Martha - in picture #27 you warn us to "stay away from this one." You are referring to the cactus in the foreground. However, the cactus seen in the backround is just as dangerous! I know because a friend of mine had a cactus like that. Because it did not have obvious spines, I touched it and lived to regret it - ended up with fiber-glass like hairs under the surface of my skin which irritated me for days. I'd rather touch the one in the front than the one in the back.
Posted by: John Dolan | November 7th, 2012 at 10:37 am
Hi Martha,
Wondering if there is a location where your Craft Space Collection can be viewed in person? I live in the New England area. Enjoy you and all you do very much.
Posted by: Connie Rockwood | November 7th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Thanks for showing us the greenhouse Martha, I hope everything gets back to normal in your world soon!
Posted by: Cindy F | November 7th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Martha,
Your plants are beautiful. I also derive much pleasure from "tending". There is a feeling of accomplishment; however, I feel that it is a nurturing instinct as well.
I am always amazed at "non-gardeners"....they talk about the stress of planting, tending, harvesting. To me...sheer joy.
I am pleased we share this passion.
Monica
Posted by: Nantucket Daffodil | November 7th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
That’s a neat looking cactus in picture #26 – it looks like a painted gourd. I could never handle a greenhouse with that many plants. I recognize a few of them by name but that’s not enough to make me a tour guide. I’d be saying, “this is a cactus, and this is a cactus and so it this one” and “here’s a green something or other, maybe aeonium. When I buy plants at Home Depot, I always save the tags so I can ‘remember’ the names. I really like your philodendron with the burro’s tail and mistletoe cacti. One good thing about philodendron is you can’t kill it no matter how much you prune. I lopped of a super thick branch on mine last month and stuck it in the back yard just to see if it would root and apparently it has because a new furled leaf is hanging in there. It was a sideways branch that I’m trying to grow straight up so it looks kind of funny with fronds facing south only instead of every direction. My sister, the non-gardener, wanted to know what that weird looking plant was outside her bedroom window. I told her, better outside your window than mine! I just can’t throw plants in the trash so I’m giving this weirdo philodendron a chance. Thanks for the greenhouse tour. You’ve got me wanting some succulents and an agave plant. No cacti though! Trish
Posted by: Trish | November 7th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Upon first glance I thought to myself, wow this is heaven. Then I navigated to picture #2. What a horrible misuse of space. Think of all the food that could be produced on site in that space. Martha, does your daughter not remind you about the oil that coats every bite that enters your mouth? Saddened.
Posted by: RPL | November 7th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Hi Martha, always love to see photos of your home - thank you. I have a book recommendation for you, if you've not already seen it - "Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Country Life" by Julia Rothman. It made me think of you. I thought you'd like the illustrations, particularly the glossaries.
Angie
Posted by: Angela Kelman | November 7th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
I like that lemon cypress you have. Do you use the foliage for any arrangements?
Posted by: sherey | November 7th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Martha, with your green house, you have the feeling of Summer year round. A little bit of Heaven enclosed in a glass frame. Love it!
Posted by: Fred Gonsowski | November 7th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Hi Martha,
I love your greenhouse,I didn't realize how big it was-I love all your Tropical plants you have in your Greenhouse- I hope you will have no damage from this next storm-Stay Safe and as always I love all your pictures of your farm and homes- Fran
Posted by: Fran | November 7th, 2012 at 8:33 pm
A beautiful, peaceful place that is gorgeously maintained and cared for. I would spend hours in here.
Posted by: Andrew Ritchie | November 7th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Aloha Martha,
Our hearts and prayers for those displaced due to storm Sandy...love that we can still keep in touch with you...miss your show...hope you come back to t.v. soon!
Posted by: Liane from Hawaii | November 7th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Your Greenhouse is fabulous! My father would have loved everything that you've shown us! We worked in 12 (some very old) greenhouses that were used for the commercial propagation of an assortment of potted plants. My father developed his own hybrid hydrangea when I was a little girl...I was always working in the greenhouse...even after I was married. Dad told me that , when I was just a baby I would escape my naps with mother in the house, and climb up the hill to be in the greenhouse with him. He said that one time I fell into a little fish pond there, and that he pulled me out in the nick of time. So he removed the fish and planted banana trees and a Bird of Paradise in the old pond after that! As a teen, I occasionally saw bananas growing, and the Bird of Paradise was so large and beautiful.
We made over 200,000 poinsettia cuttings every summer, and my father put everyone in the sand himself. His work was perfection. Paul Ecke, our stock plant source, would send a representative from California to talk with my dad and at one time even wanted to have pictures for their catalog. The old Ecke variety was THE most beautiful type ever developed, and every year my father always brought the very best out of her! I could go on and on...the happiest years of life were spent in the greenhouse, with my hands in our homemade potting soil. I do know how you feel! You are the best, Martha!
Posted by: Barbara Mayer | November 7th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
The iron cross begonia are beautiful! Thank you for sharing your photos. What a blessing to have your greenhouse spared from Sandy.
Best wishes!!
Posted by: Angie in Texas | November 8th, 2012 at 9:54 am
I was glad to see with the high winds and all the other damage that the glass houses made it through the storm. Are they a special glass?
Posted by: cheri rockdog | November 9th, 2012 at 10:27 am
I picked up the China Pink Hyacinth, and Colour Cardinal Tulip Combination pack today at Home Depot. I am excited for both to bloom, especially the "heirloom" tulips. Bought two in case the "critters" get hungry and some of the tulip bulbs.
Posted by: Joseph | November 9th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Very fun! Big fat fresh dates are not something I remember in American grocery stores as a child. I love to enjoy one of the bigger varities: Medjool Dates. During Ramadan, Muslims in Istanbul break their fast with a date, a tribute to the immediate satisfaction it provides.
Posted by: Karen | November 17th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Dear Martha !
Warm regards from my small garden in Pori city in Finland !!
If only I had such Greenhouse like you have, I would be really happy,
but all my flowers, trees, bushes are under the open sky.
Now the garden is fully wet - like a swamp - after continuous rains, rains ....
Waiting for the winter, which is "knocking on the door" - snow, ice, coldness lasting a too looooong time !
Dreaming for the spring to come .................................
Happy feelings for your time with your flowers !!!!
Mauri
Posted by: Mauri Raveala | November 18th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Lucky you to have a nice green house, to enjoy flowers in the winter. I already cant wait till spring to start planting outside and watch the perenials grow.
So for now I spend more time with my house flowers and growing baby violets with cuttings.
Posted by: Gordana Giguere | November 27th, 2012 at 7:56 pm