CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1. ACQUIRING A GREENHOUSE 2. CULTIVATION 3. GREEN OR BROWN THUMB GARDENER? 4. PLANTING, PRE-CULTIVATION, POTTING UP 5. SUMMER FLOWERS FOR OUTDOOR PLANTINGS 6. WIDE BED SOWING FOR BOUNTIFUL FLOWER BEDS 7. GROWING VEGETABLES IN THE GREENHOUSE 8. VEGETABLES TO PLANT OUTSIDE 9. EARLY HARVESTS IN THE GREENHOUSE 10. HOTBEDS AND COLD FRAMES 11. A GREENHOUSE IN FLOWER YEAR-ROUND 12. OVERWINTERING PLANTS IN THE GREENHOUSE 13. SPRING FLOWERS, BULBS, AND PERENNIALS 14. HOUSEPLANTS—CUTTINGS AND SEEDS 15. GREENHOUSE OPTIONS—LOCATION, STRUCTURE, AND MATERIALS 16. FOUNDATION 17. HEATING AND IRRIGATION 18. INTERIOR AND LIGHTING 19. CARING FOR THE GREENHOUSE 20. WINTER IN THE GARDEN—RECOMMENDED READING MATERIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX HOW TO’S – Sowing – Potting up – Planting and care of geophytes (bulbs, roots and rhizomes) – Wide sowing – Vegetable cultivation – Cultivating in a hotbed/cold frame – Sowing for spring blooms – Planting bulbs – Sowing perennials – Propagation by cuttings PRACTICAL INFORMATION Fertilizer in the water Table of summer flowers Flowering plants for hanging baskets Suitable plants for wide bed sowing in flat/box Vegetables that can be started in cell trays Plants for pre-cultivation and growing in hotbeds/cold frame Plants for direct seeding in cold frame/hotbed, and for early harvest Overwintering temperatures for plants Christmas bulbs Perennials to grow from seed Herbs to grow from seed Introduction Many gardening enthusiasts take great pleasure in owning a greenhouse; they delight in its warmth, the scent of the earth and plants, the feeling of spring, the taste of summer, and the protection against blustery fall winds. A gardener can plant, grow, and harvest cucumber and basil, as well as create a splendor of flowers in garden pots and flower beds. A greenhouse makes it possible to extend the growing season throughout the year, and to feel close to nature while remaining in sheltered comfort. A hobby greenhouse is seldom started as a money making venture, but the amount of plants and kilos of tomatoes that are often harvested within it make it profitable all the same. The pleasure seeker can create a peaceful oasis with scents and greenery. A few well-chosen plants are enough to generate the right atmosphere, while still leaving enough space for an inviting seating arrangement. No matter how we plan to enjoy our greenhouse, it needn’t be expensive or cumbersome. We often unnecessarily over-complicate things when something simple fits the bill. Once we settle on how we’d like to use the greenhouse and furnish it accordingly, we can then make it both bountiful and easy to care for. There are many ways to create lush green happiness in the greenhouse—early snowdrops, pampered geraniums, sun-warmed tomatoes, shading vines, and fine plantings of summer flowers are only some of the myriad possibilities. Those who already have a greenhouse will, in the first half of this book, get tips on additional plants you might consider growing. If the greenhouse isn’t working in any of the ways you had hoped or anticipated, then you’ll likely discover the cause in the book’s second half, which deals with the hardware—the type of building, its size, shape, heat, and ventilation systems. Those who have not yet set up a greenhouse will glean useful information on what you need to take into account before you decide on a greenhouse structure. The greenhouse is an environment that is warmer and lighter than our gardens and our homes. It allows the plants more time to grow, and gives us opportunities to cultivate more of them; it also requires more soil, water, fertilizer and care—an aspect of greenhouse gardening that might be somewhat tedious but nevertheless critical, and all the more fun and rewarding when tedious but nevertheless critical, and all the more fun and rewarding when successful. Together, the time and effort will turn your greenhouse into a wonderful, lush and flowering oasis, the gem of your garden. Hven August 2006 Inger Palmstierna