Greenhouse...3.21-16 to 3-23-16

Jim got tired of buying milkweed plants. He figures this will pay for itself.

 We put it on blocks in case it does not do well here....we can move it...

 This is a Queen caterpillar....they eat faster than the plants can grow.

 This is a Monarch caterpillar....almost big enough to find a spot to pupate.

 Queen laying eggs.

 This is one of the milkweed beds...it's just starting to come back. We had to buy a bunch of plants to put in here.

 This is the second one....starting to grow.

 This was the top of my Butterfly house....we took it apart to put plants in. I started little seedlings in the beds but the butterflies laid eggs on them and the little caterpillars ate the seedlings...That is why we need a screened greenhouse.

The other half of the butterfly house.

Jim is a hard worker...does not stop unless I make him "take 5". He's putting the 2 x 4s around the top.

 He put a board for a peak.  Now he is using the sabre saw to cut the tops off the landscape timbers.

 almost done.....you can see the 3 beds he put in. A bottlebrush in the middle and milkweed in each corner.

 When he got all the vines out of this area it opened up 3 nice Needle Palms.....

This is why they are called "Needle" Palms...

 all the extra has been cut from the top....the peak installed and all the cross support.

 He cut 3/4 inch strips and screwed them to the edge.

then we put plastic down to hold the water. This way we can go away for a few days and not worry about watering the plants....if going to be longer we can put a soaker hose around the edge.

all screened and water on the tables...they dont leak yet.

 This morning I did some transplanting...Jim figured these would pay for the greenhouse. The milkweed in these pots were $5 each.

 I have more seeds that are just starting to grow. After I get them transplanted they will go in here too.
I will collect all the seeds I can and maybe we can keep up with the caterpillars.
We went to a flea market last weekend....I could not pass up this sign...love the expression on his face.  Looks great on the wooden building.




































Since we have beehives ..I am hopeing that if a bear comes up the road he will see this one and go the other way.. My neighbors saw one in the road less than a mile from here.