Spring is in the air and we're building a Greenhouse from old Windows

Spring is in the air in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Daffodils are in full bloom and I've been posting the progress as they open on my photography Tumblr blog, 30 days of Daffodils. The Forsythia is bright yellow all over our neighborhood and the pink peach tree blooms have opened and are filling the air. We did have a frightful event yesterday when we experienced Graupel, on a 50 degree day lit began to hail! Such starts and stops are routine when Spring rolls around.

Graupel event, March 26, 2022

I didn't bother to write my annual 2021 year in review, Covid put a damper on most activities and I can't report any exciting updates. We did continue to removed old drafty wooden windows from our house and install replacements. I hate removing any solid materials from a home, but it's a 70's split-level so not much historically to get upset about. The exciting news is that we're using our collected stash of these windows to finally build a 90% reclaimed greenhouse!

My first greenhouse was attached to our old 1930's home, we didn't have recycled materials so we used what was cheapest and using a roll of plastic we built a double wall greenhouse with purchased 2 x 4's. It wasn't particularly attractive, only functional. We hauled in huge metal tanks, filled them with water for solar gain and used it as the base for work benches but we still often had to fire up the kerosene heater in the winter.

Husband had to remove and rework stairway

Our new lean-to greenhouse is currently under construction. My husband has 3 walls up and left to complete is installing siding, a door, and roof panels. We fortunately hit the jackpot and hauled in 3 car loads of solid wood from a 1940's roof demolition that we're using for framing and the roof rafters. Our only purchases have been Tuftex roof panels, nails, and screws. The cost for framing materials is at an all time high with no sign of relief in the near future. Regardless, I prefer to use recycled materials and am lucky that my husband willingly was on board as he had to do the lifting and nail removal. Back in the 40's they used big wide planks for the top of the roof instead of plywood so the materials are amazing.

As Anthony builds, I work on a little flower bed next to the greenhouse, trying to not hit buried electrical lines which I've been known to do. Removing a jumble of a dying overgrown Viburnum, Creeping Jenny, Creeping Charlie, and Black Eyed Susan. I'm left when an open pallet to correct the old mess. I did leave 2 native climbers one being a delicate Wild Yam. I've divided some of my Iris, Daylilies, and Sweet Box and reworked a some Black Eyed Susan, my dwarf Carnival Rose bush, Daffodils, Dwarf Hosta and other perennials. I purchased a Mars grape plant this year and hope to trellis it beside the Greenhouse. I also purchased a colorful Spirea, Candy Corn, to add to my collection. I don't have many native plants in this area but I do have natives throughout my larger flowerbeds as they need a lot more leg room than this space would allow.

A work in progress

We also had to relocate our handmade bird bath to another area in this space. So many different critters love this little ground water feature. It's one of our favorite DIY project completions.

Seems there is always a Spring project to tackle. We have one big project left, connecting our garage to our house. We won't start it until lumber prices go down, if they ever do.

It seems like Winter was especially long and cold so get out and enjoy the warmth. 

HAPPY SPRING from Forsythia Hill.

~Rebecca

Spring Flower Gardening Event Calendar 2019 in Charlottesville Virginia

My front flower bed earlier in the season.

Instead of finishing my taxes, I'll divert my attention to SPRING. It's such a wonderfully lovely time of year, I had to sneak this blog post in. My garden has transformed from the yellow's of Daffodils and Forsythia to the pink's of Crab Apple and Redbud. With each passing Spring day my view from my back deck develops. Shades of green darken and dots of white and red trees appear. I never tire of the seasons.

Love this sweet garden view on Rugby Road.

I try to reserve April and May for Gardening Events. These months are super busy and it's my time to be selfish and take time out to explore gardens and reunite with plants. I've even invited the local Facebook plant group over to my house this year for a morning coffee and plant swap. The pressure is on to tidy up the yard, not to mention finish my taxes. YIKES! I hope the gang is not expecting a manicured yard, I'm more of a plant collector than a landscaper. Should be fun meeting like minded garden lovers that I've gotten to know from posting comments online.

My front flower bed, it's Daffodil season!

The first main local gardening event of the season will be kicked off this weekend on April 13. Hosted by The Piedmont Master Gardeners, Through the Garden Gate is held the second Saturday of each month during gardening season from 9 - 12 for the exception of August.

The annual Jefferson chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society will have its sale at the Ivy Creek Nature Center on Saturday, April 27, 1 - 3. It's a wonderful sale with tons of plants and tons of buyers! Come early if you really want to be selective. Native plants benefit our local insect population!

Maybe Trisha will motivate me to go HGW VA.

Historic Garden Week in Virginia also kicks off on April 27 and continues until the following weekend on May 4. I've yet to decide on a garden location to visit. This is the first year that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with finishing our garage and getting started on renovating the basement so my mother can move in. I might take a breather this year (the first in probably 8 years) and skip this main event.

The Piedmont Master Gardeners will also have their  main event on Saturday May 4th, 10 - 2 under the Stonefield Shopping Plaza tent (this is a new location). Their annual plant sale is awesomely amazing. Another great place to pick up a special and unique plant from many different local plant expert groups.

Sweet Daffodils in my garden.

This week I'll be heading out at 6 am to take a stroll through the Sarah P. Duke Gardens before my annual doctor trip to Duke. Might as well make the visit interesting! Can't wait to finally see these gardens. I conveniently booked an appointment mid April.

HAPPY SPRING and get out and smell not only the roses but all the flowers!

~Rebecca

Spring Flowers and Nature in Charlottesville Virginia

The first flower to bloom, Winter Aconite

It's going to be another early Spring in Charlottesville, Virginia. I recall such a Spring about 5 years ago. I didn't care for it much because EVERYTHING bloomed all at once! I prefer the gradual blooming that typically occurs. We may have one problem though, it looks like by the end of the week, temperatures may dip below 30 degrees! NOT GOOD for the thousands of Daffodils that are in bloom and budding in my yard on Forsythia Hill.

The first daffodil to bloom in my yard on Forsythia Hill

Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful to live in such a beautiful State and experience such a glorious Spring. It's year number 8 for us in Cville and several areas in the yard that we have "landscaped" are starting to form. The 2 new Forsythia shrub patches are coming along quite nicely. One has formed a clump as intended, the other has another 3 years to form the long serpentine hedge as planned. We now have 4 forsythia patches in our yard plus an additional outcropping along the property line that belongs to a neighbor (that I begged to not bulldoze - so far so good). Our neighbor across the street bulldozed their huge patch (I guess they didn't like yellow). "sigh".

Fat Bluebird ready to find a mate.

We had one big patch to the right of our house and we installed the serpentine patch to the left of the house and it now looks quite balanced. It's becoming a riot of color in the Spring with my neighbors strip of mammoth white Bradford Pear trees and my blinding yellow Forsythia and splashes of thousands of Daffodils. I wonder what my neighbors must say as they drive by -- "Wilbur, hand me my sunglasses - PLEASE" or just "Please make it stop"! I do love the shock value of such plantings.

Little miniature white and yellow Daffodils

Up next will be the Tulips and Iris along with creeping Phlox and other ground covers. I did notice the blue Vinca Vine is blooming. A plant that I tolerate but don't care much for except in the Spring when it blooms. The Naked Lady foliage is looking like water fountain sprays at the moment, a freeze could do them in. Luckily the blooms spring up much later in the season after the leaves have died back.

Once again, Historic Garden Week in Virginia occurs during my Birthday week. I can't wait to snag a catalog and start planning a trip somewhere in the State!

I'm fearless when it comes to transplanting!

HAPPY SPRING 2017.

~ Rebecca