Selecting a location for a greenhouse that will be both sunny and convenient is often a difficult problem. Sometimes there is just no suitable ground site, but a flat roof or porch deck provides an ideal spot. That’s the way it is frequently worked out in city and suburban areas, where land for gardening is at a premium.
The greenhouse which my friend Alex Bambas, built on his garage roof is an outstanding example of such a second-story arrangement. The greenhouse gets the morning sun—indeed sunlight most of the day. and it is protected from the cold prevailing winds. Best of all, the glass garden can be entered any time of day or night by the family for gardening or just quiet relaxation.
A wide variety of choice flowering plants can always be found in the Bambas greenhouse. If you were to ask the doctor what his favorites are, as I did, you would have a time getting a direct reply. He loves them all. One thing certain—there’s nothing static about his gardening program! He is continually trying new plants and discarding old ones. His interest at one time centered on a fine collection of geraniums, Rex begonias, fuchsias and caladiums. as well as ferns and other foliage plants. But on my recent visits, I’ve found that lie’s now going in for more exotic plants such as orchids and crotons in variety. About a dozen cattleyas in all sizes were in prominence when I was there last. Cattleya labiata provides the big thrill. Each fall, this jungle plant opens into a beautiful rose-lilac bloom, whose fragrance fills the entire greenhouse. The fine thing about this plant is that it flowers for four to five weeks. Vanda caerulea is also noteworthy. Although usually a shy bloomer, this year it produced two beautiful spikes of lavender blue. Orchids are far from difficult to grow, Alex will tell you, and they respond well to ordinary treatment. In fact, many home greenhouse gardeners find them easier to manage and bring into flower than most other plants grown under glass.
Epiphyllum hybrids and related genera are also a favorite with the doctor. He finds their flamboyant reds and pure whites intriguing. He will admit, however, that he cannot supply all their cultural requirements along with those of the orchids. The difficulty, of course, is that many of the different species of cattleya and the various epiphyllum hybrids require different temperatures. For instance, cattleyas take a night temperature in winter of about 60 to 65 degrees, and although this variation of 5 degrees permits the culture of a multitude of species, conditions are not perfect for all. Still you’d be amazed at the excellent results that can be obtained. In addition to growing orchids and epiphyllums well, he does a nice job with bromeliads, bougainvillea, echeveria and amaryllis.
You might think that with so many plants, Alex Bambas spends all his spare time in the greenhouse. The fact is greenhouse gardening is wonderful for a lazy gardener. You can spend as much or little time as you like and still get good results. For health reasons, Alex is not permitted to use strong sprays in his greenhouse. Even at that, he has no trouble controlling greenhouse pests. Soapy water takes care of most of them such as mealybugs, aphids and scale. About a year ago, he had a plague of slugs and snails. Hand picking under lights at night was of little or no avail. but last summer a swarm of wasps made nests in the eaves of the greenhouse. They policed the place, cleaned out the slugs and much other insect life. Amusing as it may seem. What next?
by C Ernest – 63476
