Saturday, March 6, 2010

Botanic Inspiration

If you want to check out the website of today's inspiration:

Today's pictorial inspiration: Greenhouses. But not just any greenhouses, Hartley Greenhouses. They are officially approved by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, so they must be the best. As if I actually know what the RBGK is and what their standards are. I imagine, however, that they are quite high. Queen of the Greenhouse. They are absolutely gorgeous! And it is my goal to one day have one, albeit a small one is likey all I will ever be able to afford. I would love to be able to maintain a lush indoor garden during the winter months. It's so invigorating to be able to stand behind the glass in a tropical room while watching the snow fall. It really blasts the winter blues, it would be fabulous for anyone with seasonal affective disorder. I don't really get winter blues, but I still can see myself benefitting from having a winter greenhouse. Think of all the herbs you could grow to cook with all winter. Fresh basil in January would be divine. Even tomatoes, and flowers; think of all the possibilities.

I don't think I'll ever be able to afford anything as luxurious as these, but here's to dreaming!
I love the look of real glass with a brick foundation. Of course, the more typical plexi-glass houses are perfectly functional and I will probably have to settle for one of those, if I'm lucky. But the real glass just makes them look sturdy yet still regal in a way. There is something magical about greenhouses, about anything, really, that has the power to create something that doesn't seem possible. A greenhouse does something to plants that doesn't happen naturally, plants aren't supposed to be that green and lush in winter; in summer they also create an artificial environment that seems somewhat unnatural. The environment within can be regulated to such a degree that the plants are living in their ideal climate, all the time. It's as close to perfection as you can get in the plant world. It creates a surreal experience.



For someone who has spent a large portion of my life experimenting with ways to avoid and/or alter reality, a greenhouse like this would fulfill a certain purpose. I feel calmed by plants and lush, green environments. An escape, right in my own backyard, a place that would serve to transport me to a quiet, peaceful, magical world would be a dream come true.


More true to my goofy side, I have this other, older greenhouse dream. I've always been obsessed with Volkswagon busses. I've always wanted to get a really old VW model, like from the late fifties, early sixties, the ones with the split front window and all the little windows on the sides. So the top is already mostly glass. Then I want to cut out the roof and put in glass and use it as a greenhouse. I know that would not appeal to everyone, but imagine it at the end of a fieldstone path surrounded by by beautifully maintained gardens, So it would merely be quirky, not junky. You would have to fully restore the exterior, so there was no rust. And give it a nice paint job, have the work expertly done. And it could be super cool. Or use it as a garden tool shed. I will do it someday. I swear on it.







4 comments:

Jeannie said...

Obviously, you need to have a place in the country to have a VW greenhouse! I'd be happy just to have a greenhouse window somewhere in my house. I know I'd never keep up a greenhouse in the yard. I just don't love to take care of plants that much. I love plants but I forget to water and fertilize. I'm amazed anything grows for me at all. But I have plants that are 30 years old now.

NH said...

Wow, I'd be really proud of myself if I could end up keeping a plant as long as thirty years. That's amazing, you must be doing something right. I've seen people with those jade plants that were at least twenty-five years old. They were huge, and really healthy and beautiful. But the ones I'm really thinking of were kept by a farmer in one of his year round greenhouses. So it's no wonder they were amazing. I'd be happy if I could have a small solarium in my home, too. That would be nice, or an adjoining greenhouse.

Sarcastic Bastard said...

The VW greenhouse is a cool idea.

NH said...

Thanks SB! I've wanted to do it for SO, SO long!

VV is the shit

VV is the shit
We all have to love VV