Boston Flora

Tag: solar greenhouse

  • Saturday, September 28, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Fall & Winter Bloom in the Solar Greenhouse, Unheated Glassed-In Porch, or Spare Bedroom

    Do you want the sights and smells of flowers in winter, but rising fuel costs seem to put a greenhouse out of reach? The solution—the subject of this Berkshire Botanical Garden class—is to go solar! You will learn the basic elements of a solar greenhouse, how to optimize greenhouse performance, how to operate month by month in response to the weather and how to choose plants that are growable and rewarding. The class will take place Saturday, September 28, from 1 – 3 in the Education Center of BBG in Stockbridge. BBG members $22, nonmembers $27. Call 413-298-3926 to register, or sign up online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

    James Jones is a lifelong gardener and a member of many horticultural societies, with a particular interest in the North American Rock Garden Society, where he has been national president and chapter chair, as well as director of the Seed Exchange. He has recently published a book on his experiences using solar energy, Fall and Winter Bloom in the Solar Greenhouse. He often judges at the Boston Flower Show.  Image from www.houzz.com.

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  • Wednesday, April 10, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Fall and Winter Bloom in the Solar Greenhouse

    The Ecological Landscaping Association presents Fall and Winter Bloom in the Solar Greenhouse on Wednesday, April 10, from 10 – noon in Lexington, Massachusetts.  Come in from the cold for year-round gardening in a solar greenhouse.  Tour guide and author James Jones has learned through his experience that a winter greenhouse can be a reality by turning solely to the sun for heat, with no reliance on fossil fuels.  Join this ELA Eco-tour to learn how to adapt a greenhouse structure to function effectively using only the heat of the sun.  Attendees will be able to see the specific conditions and modifications that act to make the greenhouse functional, as well as a nice array of plant species that thrive in its environment, all meeting the requirements of blooming in fall or winter and being able to tolerate brief exposures to 32 degrees F.  A solar heated greenhouse allows for varieties far beyond begonias and orchids.  Plants that would wilt in a conventional greenhouse flourish in the coolness of a sun-house.  Besides reducing home heating bills, dependence on the sun has the practical benefit of keeping insects under control.  During exceptionally cold weather, solar greenhouse temperatures dip lower than in a standard greenhouse, and bugs cannot tolerate it.  $20 ELA member, $25 non members.  Register by emailing ela.info@comcast.net or by calling 617-436-5838.

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