Inside My "Little" Greenhouse
Here in Bedford, New York, temperatures are just beginning to fall, so lots of work is being done to prepare all my tropical plants for the cold season ahead.
Yesterday, my gardeners tackled the plants inside what we call my "little greenhouse" - located next to my main greenhouse and just outside my flower cutting garden. Like all my greenhouses, this structure is heated and the humidity levels are closely monitored and adjusted when necessary. Some of the plants in this space include my cymbidium orchids, myrtle topiaries, fishtail palms, and a walking iris.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- It was a pleasant day to move some of my tropical plants into their designated greenhouse for the long winter. Here, Phurba and Ryan carry two potted cymbidium orchids into the smallest of my five greenhouses. I have many of these plants and they thrive here at the farm.
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- Cymbidium, or boat orchid, is a genus of more than 50-evergreen species in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Cymbidium orchids are prized for their long-lasting sprays of flowers, used especially as cut flowers or spring corsages. Cymbidiums are more demanding than many orchids commonly grown as houseplants. They flower from autumn to spring, and produce large flower spikes that can last up to eight weeks each.
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- Cymbidiums have long, thin, light green, grass–like leaves that arch upright from the pot.
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- Because the “little greenhouse” has limited room and my cymbidiums are growing so well, we needed to be a bit creative with their storage. We often use leftover stumps from cut trees as bases for our pots – these can make better use of the vertical space.
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- We also keep smaller scraps of wood to use as shims for under the pots – these help level the planters and allow for better drainage.
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- Phurba checks to see what kind of wood shim would fit best under this cymbidium.
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- And then places three underneath the pot to make it secure on top of the stump.
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- Here is one side where there are no stumps – it looks quite crowded and the plants are too close together.
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- On the right, the stumps are in place and there is more room and air circulation between the plants.
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- On this side, all my myrtle topiaries, Myrtus communis ‘Compacta’. Myrtle is any of the evergreen shrubs in the genus Myrtus, belonging to the family Myrtaceae.
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- Myrtle is a medium-sized shrub with small aromatic, glossy green leaves, which release a nice scent when crushed. It bears showy small white flowers from mid spring to early summer before giving way to small purplish-black berries.
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- Here, Ryan feeds all the topiaries Osmocote fertilizer – small, round coated prills filled with nutrients. Buy some at my retail shop Martha.com.
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- Here’s a closer look at the Osmocote prills – these plants just need a sprinkling. Myrtle prefers to be moist but not soggy. They should be watered only when the top layer of soil begins to feel dry.
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- In another corner, several potted sansevieria – a historically recognized genus of flowering plants, native to Africa, notably Madagascar, and southern Asia. These hardy plants are very popular because of their adaptability to a wide range of growing conditions. They do best in medium to bright indirect light, but can also tolerate lower light as well as direct sun.
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- Sansevieria are characterized by their stiff, upright, sword-like leaves.
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- This is a walking iris, Neomarica northiana, also known as North’s false flag. It is a flowering plant native to Brazil. This exotic-looking plant has graceful sword-like foliage. When in bloom, it has white, yellow or blue flowers that resemble a cross between those of an orchid and an iris.
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- The walking iris is also called the fan iris for the fan-like growing characteristic of its leaves.
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- Another interesting plant in this greenhouse is the fishtail palm. Caryota is a genus of palm trees known as fishtail palms because of the shape of their leaves. There are about 13 species native to Asia, northern Australia, and the South Pacific.
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- Here’s a closer look at the leaves – shaped like a jagged fish’s tail, which form thick, swirled layers of ruffled fronds.
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- I am so glad I am fortunate enough to have several greenhouses for all my well-loved tropical specimens. What are you doing to prepare your potted plants for the cold weather? Please share your comments in the section below.
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