Greenhouse Plants Take A Field Trip
This month – June – the indoor and the outdoor garden blend into one. The difference between the garden and greenhouse is merely that which shading and enclosure can produce. This is of great importance to some plants as our summer weather is subject to hot drying winds that are poorly tolerated by many foliage plants. Banana foliage in the tropics is generally seen blown to ribbons, but the humidity and abundant rain seem to reduce the net damage.
However, dracaenas, begonias, the large leaf philodendrons and other delicate plants are certainly happier in the shelter of the glasshouse during the summer, and a sun porch serves almost as well. The glasshouse will, of course, be heavily shaded. For the next few months house plants really come into their own. Many plants which just survive the winter indoors, now make real progress. This is largely due to the increased light intensity and the sharply raised indoor humidity which is carried in by warm air and not dried out by artificial heat.
So this month the indoor gardener with a botanical-garden taste and a pint sized greenhouse can exercise his ingenuity in stretching his home greenhouse.
First, will move out to garden, coldframe, sunroom and living room, everything that will do well in these locations. Then, in the greenhouse create zones of light and shade, dryness and moisture, to please the various collections which may range from desert plants to rex begonias and ferns. Many tender plants enjoy the stay outdoors in summer, and we are glad to unload the greenhouse.
The outdoor plant refuge now becomes an important part of the gardeners world, and some very attractive designs have appeared. Generally in our climate we need wind protection, some shade and moisture conservation for the plants in pots.
Shade may range from the use of a northern exposure to a complete structure which may be open to the elements in the front and sides but is usually roofed over (higher in the front than the back to admit good light). The roof may be solid or trellised, and vines or Spanish moss (down South) may provide additional light shade. For wind protection, louvered fences or trellises dependent, of course, upon the nature of the summer winds.
Plants which enjoy full sun in pots outdoors are not as numerous and common as one might guess, probably due to the limited moisture supply in any pot; most do better in part sun or a northerly exposure. The real sun lovers are aloes, agaves, euphorbias (thorny species), poinsettias (also a euphorbia but without thorns) and some large cacti and succulents. The smaller choice specimens of plants are cared and kept on sunny shelves in the greenhouse. Slightly tempered sun suits some bulbs such as crinum, urginea (sea onion), tulbaghia, crassula, echeveria and some of the more vigorous pelargoniums.
Amaryllis are often put outdoors during the summer. They can stand a great deal of sun provided they do not dry out. When cool weather approaches, pots are lifted and set on their sides under the benches where they receive only occasional moisture during the resting period.
The remaining exotics, now that the greenhouse is cleared, expand rapidly to fill the space. Compression is much more difficult!
Caladiums, tuberous begonias and tritonia, started in the greenhouse, have now been moved out. Tropical annuals that were sown indoors to utilize the full summer season outdoors have been set in the garden. These include the vines moonflower (calonyction) and Cobaea scanderm tithonia, petunias from seed and from cuttings of select doubles;, dahlias, Datura from cuttings and D. metel, D. meteloiales, and D. fastuosa from seed; sanvitalia (the creeping golden”zinnia) and some Amaranthus tricolor or Josephs coat.
Greenhouse repairs are made more easily now that the benches have been emptied of plants. Check and replace cracked glass and rotten bench boards. Sterilize any benches containing soil.
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