It felt like murder. At the end of an unusually warm November I just couldn’t say goodbye to my truly majestic trio of Majesty Palms. They had ridden out the previous winter in my house. Now they were giant and thriving and too large to bring inside. I also had a Basjoo Banana that had clung to life under grow lights that same winter. It rewarded me with copious long, luscious leaves all summer long. My other tropical friend that had helped transform my patio into a piece of tropicana was my lime tree. A housewarming gift from my mum and late dad 13 years ago. Every winter it revolted at its relocation back into the house. Typically, in one act of drama, its leaves would shrivel up and drop overnight. With coaxing and some misting it limped along and awaited warmer days. So this year I felt it was time to give them a winter home: just a temporary structure to bridge the gap between seasons. Enter the pop-up greenhouse! Suspiciously similar to the tents we use as shelter during our kids' lacrosse tournaments, just with clear plastic. I was thrilled with my Amazon purchase.
But oh, what a learning curve it has been!
First came the wind. I thought I secured it magnificently well, wedging it under a pergola, but the first gusty storm turned my little greenhouse into a sail. A shelf overturned, pots smashed, branches broken. A minor setback, we were down but not out! I bought sandbags (did you know there are many different types of sand?!) we righted ourselves, brushed ourselves off and tried again.
Then the sun disappeared. Temperatures plunged below freezing. I tried adding bubble wrap as insulation and even hung a few sheets of Mylar to reflect some heat. These measures were not enough to defeat the coldest weather we’d had in years. It was time for a small heater. Initially, this was awesome. Then we got the electricity bill. Let's just say it rose faster than the temperature inside the greenhouse. I decided I couldn’t just leave this thing blasting but would run it at night only and bought a smart plug - very cool. WAY easier to use than my old-school timer with dials.
The holidays were upon us and we went on a long trip out of town. I had to leave my experiment to fend for itself. It turns out it could not. The banana plant was the first to throw in the towel. The palms developed weird brown spots and are clearly dying. My wandering dudes who had been delighted in their cozy home turned to mush.
I was so disappointed but all was not lost! My little collection of succulents surprised me. Not only did they survive, but they’ve been thriving, even pushing out the cutest little florets. And then there’s the lime tree. It refuses to go quietly into the night. It is hanging on. It is resilient and so must I be.
Today we are bracing ourselves for 6" of snow. Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. If he's right then Spring will be here by March 16th. In the meantime, I may find some blankets both for me and for my lime tree.
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