Naomi Slade is overjoyed that her new li le greenhouse has been a winter bonus
My li le greenhouse has been a bonus for overwintering my tender plants
When I first took possession of my garden, my aims were simple. I wasn’t going to be daunted by the north-facing aspect, the fake grass and the terrible soil. Here, I resolved, I would get much more than a quart out of a pint pot.
That said, ge ing my li le greenhouse has been a real bonus when it comes to overwintering tender plants. In the UK, it’s more often wet than cold that kills, so packing pelargoniums, begonias, and tender tubers, such as gingers and colocasia, into a light but protected spot is a no-brainer.
I don’t heat my greenhouse. It’s so tiny that the surface area to volume ratio is huge; it would lose heat like nobody’s business, which would be bad for the heating bill and for my carbon footprint. And in a small home garden I lack the will or desire to experiment with plants that are faffy! But it provides enough extra shelter to make a difference and keep the rain off, and the succulents and other plants are hanging in there pre y well. It’s a good idea, however, to observe a few rules when overwintering plants under glass, even on a small scale.
The first is to make absolutely sure that the soil is kept on the dry side, as too much damp can lead to ro ing.
The second is to keep a beady eye out for pests and diseases. Remove any plant material that's showing signs of mould, mildew or rust.
And be vigilant: vine weevil larvae love a nice container plant and will make short work of the roots or tubers given half a chance. Mealy bugs and aphids can also accumulate and make a nuisance of themselves.
Another challenge in this particular plot is that, for at least two months of the year, the back of the house gets no sun at all. And lack of warming rays and absence of bright light in the coldest months makes it doubly important to guard against a tendency for dankness. It also means that some of the plants, particularly succulents and pelargoniums, tend to become somewhat lanky. But it can’t be helped – at least they live still. And if the aeoniums and echeveria get too lanky, come spring I’ll just chop the tops off and root them up, and I’ll have several plants for the price of one!