Potting Progress

I wanted to post an update on that little part of the house that we call "the lean-to".  It's kind of like a garden room/greenhouse/suntrap and it's the perfect spot for potting up seeds and for getting sunlight to seedlings while protecting them from the elements.  I don't really know what else to call it but it's a really quaint area with the rough stone walls and rustic feel. 

Anyway, remember this?



This is how it looked when we first took ownership of the place.  Torn, ill-fitting sheeting and odd bits of plastic covering the openings.  Most of the wood was not in great shape either.

Then Paul replaced the frame, and put up strong plastic to keep the elements at bay until we could get something permanent.  Well, I'm pleased to report that we now have Suntuf in place!  Suntuf is a corrugated plastic product that lets 99% of sunlight through, and is strong enough to withstand the UV and heat of summer as well as the freezing temperatures of winter. 




Putting up a strong framework so that the sheets of Suntuf won't flex in the high winds we get here.  There's also the issue of snow loading - the steep angle means the snow should slide off, but we are in the snowbelt, so best not to take chances!



The view from inside.  Did I mention it was buggy?



The finished product, from inside. 



... and outside.  What a difference!  Note the strange optical illusion where it looks as though the top squares are empty.  They're not - the sheets go all the way up to the top!  We still need to find a triangular piece to fit the end section, but for now the plastic will suffice.

Since this has been done, we've had high winds, torrential rain, and intense heat.  So far, so good - no leaks or cracks.

Seeing as now I have somewhere to put my pots, I figured that's exactly what I'd do:



Looks good!



I'm hoping something will grow!

So ... did I mention the place needs some TLC?

Bearing in mind that we first saw the place in the depths of a snowy February, there are certain things you tend to overlook. One of these was what I refer to as the "potting lean-to". It's actually the very first part of the house that you notice when you pull up the driveway, and as such, really did not give a good first impression. When we returned in May, we realized just how shabby it looked. As soon as we were able to get in the house, Paul, not being the kind of guy to let the grass grow under his feet, set about taking it apart.





The view from the driveway - not very appealing.









The stone wall is actually quite charming, but the rest of the structure left a lot to be desired. The purpose of the area is to provide a warm, sunny place to start seedlings and herbs. It was fairly obvious that the whole front portion had to go.









All the old frame and torn plastic was tossed. Repairs to the stone wall were also necessary before new wood could be put in place.

Did I mention this was blackfly season? It had also turned over really hot and humid. Highly unpleasant conditions for a job like this.



New wood on the repaired stone wall. That's not going anywhere!



If you're going to do a job, do it right ... Paul also re-shingled the roof over the lean-to.



Did I mention it was buggy?





New wood goes up.



A good angle to catch the sun.



Thick plastic to protect from the elements. This is a temporary fix, which we plan to replace with something like this: http://www.palram.com/htmls/product.aspx?c0=12662&bsp=14172 which will provide the necessary sunlight for seedlings and herbs.

It's strange to feel attached to such a small and insignificant part of the house, but there's just something about this spot that charms me. Maybe it's the worn flagstone step, or the exposed logs, or the wall built from stones gathered from the surrounding land; or maybe it's the thought of growing our own herbs from seed, laid out in rows of terracotta pots, their scent lingering in the afternoon sun.

The dream continues ...