A mini-greenhouse, a folly, a garden ornament? THREE in ONE!

You've seen these before... old windows used to build a greenhouse of any size. It just seems the best use for these panes of glass that can easily be acquired. I've had some old windows for years and we finally put them to use for the final touch on my "project". ( My garden renovation "project" was mentioned in the post below, and it has taken me about 2 weeks to complete. I'll post the video soon, but I want the new planting to fill in a bit, before I film.) So, in the meantime, I will show you the mini greenhouse we built to place at the end of my new garden path.

 I sanded and painted the original white windows using hunters green Rust-o-lian spray paint. I then sanded them again for a vintage look.

        We used 5 windows to make a "saltbox" shape. If you prefer a traditional peaked roof, use 6 panes of glass. Obviously, you will need windows that are of equal size along at least one width or length.

Using nails, screws, or L-brackets  connect the windows into a box shape.

You will need to use hinges on  the window to be used as your door.

 We used antique hinges .

.

and a very interesting doorknob.

Use support boards on the inside of the box for extra stability. We used old stairway spindles, which provide a lip on which to connect our shelves.

You don't need a floor, I just set this on the stones... great for drainage.

 I had 2 cast iron garden ornaments I put to use as: 1.) a shelf

 

  and 2.) a ventilation piece in the back of greenhouse.
The center shelf is clear plexiglass, about 1/4 inch thick.

This roof is attached with hinges as well, so that I can open it from the top.  

 For the time being I am putting succulents, such as pots of sedum  and cacti

 and a few lavender babies, inside.

 But I can also start little seedlings in here at any time of the year.

Because I do not need a full size greenhouse, this little mini-greenhouse is just perfect for me and my renovated side garden.

Even if you don't start your plants from scratch, these are charming garden bones, nice follies and attractive storage areas for garden goods and small tools.

You can find old windows on Craig's list, at flea markets and  architectural salvage yards.

This project took James and I about 2 hours from start to finish.

So, what do you think... would you like a tiny greenhouse in your garden wonderland?

Thoughtful gifts for gardeners and GARDEN SHOES

      Have  you been in your garden? I bet you have! This week I gave my first garden tour in Hopalong Hollow. I was a bit reluctant about having a garden club traipse my paths, because things here are so FAR from perfect. Perhaps I had forgotten that true garden lovers are special people; they don't require perfection, they are interested in atmosphere, plants, garden bones and ideas. The group of 8 women  brought sack lunches and sat beneath the trees after the "tour", as ducklings waddled past and Peacocks willingly spread their tails to have their photos taken. I handed out seeds from my garden that I had collected last summer and a good time was had by all.

I  also enjoyed the company of a longtime blogger friend, Sharon,  who stopped by the Hollow on her way through East Tennessee this week. It is always a delight to meet up with bloggers!

.

 Sharon's friend Larry  walked through the gardens and commented that " I bet people give you a lot of plants" to which I replied, "Hmmm. not really, seeds sometimes, but not often plants" It got me to thinking of gifts that gardeners would love to receive and here is the list I came up with.

1.) Garden gloves; all types, rubber, leather, vinyl, cotton,  rose pruning gloves. Gardeners go through gloves like my donkeys go through a bag of animal crackers!

2.) A potted perennial or a 6 pack of small annuals, believe me, a gardener will find a place to put a gifted plant. Every time that gardener looks at the plant, she will think of you! You will become a part of her garden. Packets of Seeds are nice too, especially if they can be sown directly in the garden.

3.) A garden hat is SO IMPORTANT! I found this great hat which is perfect for many reasons; it shades my face, it is lightweight, and it has air holes in the top to let your scalp breath without the sun burning it.

4.) Cheap plastic sunglasses, sunblock and sunscreen. Garden-folk go through tubes and tubes of this stuff! Cheap sunglasses because they are going to get scratched up and stepped on eventually.

5.) A subscription to the best garden mag ever...
,
OR, any beautiful garden book, because gardeners love to dream.

  I love the book below.

  Penned in the year 1898 but just as pertinent today, see how Elizabeth writes about her garden:

 Anyone who loves their garden will understand how Elizabeth feels.

 6.) Small hand garden tools like pruners and hand rakes and diggers AND doodads like plant markers,

.

 Which come in oodles of shapes ... my friend makes these that you see beneath.

.

.

7.) And last but not least, what gardener does not love a bee skep?

.

or a concrete bunny?

Or absolutely ANYTHING that has a bee or a bird on it!

One thing you SHOULDN'T buy a gardener? garden shoes.. why? because garden shoes must be chosen by the gardener. They need to be comfortable more that anything else and only the person wearing the shoes can determine that.

These are my favorite garden shoes, an old pair of Bass loafers.

 They are ugly but well worn in, with comfortable rubber soles. I can get them muddy or wet  and still keep on working. I have rubber garden boots, and although flowery and patterned garden boots are cute to look at, I can't take them seriously as they are hot, inflexible and  awkward to work in.

 This pair is great too!

 So the next time you need a gift for a gardener, be it your mom, your sister, your neighbor or best friend, take it from me and put a real smile on a gardeners face with a garden treasure.

I am reminded  of one of the best garden gifts I ever received. A neighbor pulled into our driveway with a truckload of horse dung and asked me if I wanted if for my garden beds.... Of course I did; what true gardener would turn down free pony poo?!
Have I left anything out? What gift would you love to have as a garden lady?

UPDATES:

PEA-CHICKS at 3 weeks old.
AND
The new garden video I am working on is the revival of this side garden. I've been restoring this garden for the past 4 days. It was destroyed last year when a walnut tree fell into it and smashed it to bits. I will be planting and

I will be laying  a new garden path using found stone.

  (I do wear my husbands waders when
gathering stones from the creek.)

I will post this video soon.