My Greenhouse

[Broke Down Ranch]

Oh, you know what?

This might be a fabulous time to show you guys something. Your Greenhouse is what made me think of it.

This house, my house, has a ton of broken windows. The glass is all there (except a few bullet holes and missed shards), but they are still intact windows! LOL Mostly my breaks are from the winds throwing pecans against the house.

Anyways, I get this cream stuff from "Hobby Lobby" or "Michaels Crafts" It comes in a bottle and it spreads like lotion out of the tip. Each bottle is labeled as a color. It is called 'Gallery Glass' by Plaid.
http://factorydirectcraft.com/mpix/osc_products/20070503132603-136404.jpg

I have done several windows in the past. It dries to a thin film of plastic and hardens like real stained glass. Even the faux piping comes in several colors (I like black instead of pewter).

Here are some pics of my work:
http://i38.tinypic.com/9kxi76.jpg

This is a southerly facing window and I use this to grow seedlings as well, and it does not interfere.

http://i38.tinypic.com/so5w06.jpgOh look, broken windows!

At any rate, I thought you might get an idea at taking and changing old windows into works of art in the garden that still can be used as a coldframe/greenhouse. The possibilities are endless and this stuff can be ordered online if a store is not nearby. It sticks like cream to a window and does not run off, so vertical application is how it goes on. I love it. :rainbow-sun It dries within a day.

This is a perfect project for children of all ages! It allows them to be so creative and contribute to the garden! It lasts for years. Some colors fade a bit, but others stay vibrant forever! For a greenhouse you should use clear colors, not the opaque, except as accent. I leave lots of clear glass areas for viewing outside!

Ron

ps, and it seals up the cracked windows and any bullet holes

Wow, that is some cool stuff!! There are actually a couple of broken panes on my greenhouse, I am just *very* gentle with it. And I like your idea about the straw bales for a base. If I staggered the bales it would give me shelves! Now, I have a question - how would I start a plant in a bale then remove it to transplant?

Ron, you and I show throw in together and patent our window-bale greenhouse! We'd be RICH!!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Beautiful Ron! I want to go out and find windows for my plastic covered greenhouse right now so I can create a masterpiece! Oh my goodness, how fun! So, does the blue pigmented one fade more than the other colors? That tends to be true of blue paint in general.

 

[Greensage45]

We already are Rich!!!!row


As for planting in a bale and then removing, you should only do this if you are working with plants that do not mind getting their roots torn. There is an entire technique to planting in a bale. It causes an internal "composting" at the plant site, and is neat. I would just let the plant stay there this way you do not lose structure. Once the plant has outlived the spot (if not perennial and permanent, then cut at the base allowing the roots to remain and hold firm the structure once dried up again).

If you plant annual, then let them be and season them out. If you plant perennial, then maintain them like maintaining the structure. For garden starts I would always use trays; this is much more controllable.

:watering

Ron

 

[Greensage45]

Beautiful Ron! I want to go out and find windows for my plastic covered greenhouse right now so I can create a masterpiece! Oh my goodness, how fun! So, does the blue pigmented one fade more than the other colors? That tends to be true of blue paint in general.

My only fading is when the window is South facing. All the rest maintain color.

The Blue is the best, going on six years now and not a smidgen of change! It is the yellow that fades and one of the reds faded too.

Greens, white, pearl, blue, orange, purple are tough colors; yellows are what I call 'update' colors, where I do it again two or so years apart.

Ron

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Good to know . . . thank you Ron. I was just thinking . . . I have mammoth sunflowers out front of my greenhouse right now . . . it is fun to see them through the greenhouse film, just outside . . . wouldn't it be beautiful to do a sunflower mural on the greenhouse glass?

On second thought, my neighbor might find it a little garish. She already thinks I'm crazy for growing sunflowers "for pleasure."

 

[injunjoe]

Ron that is just to cool!