Hardy Tropicals UK

I have been busy of late, despite my quietness here. So with work progressing nicely, I thought I'd start a blog. I will certainly be looking for planting advice along the way.

I have been watching my Bougainvillea decline steadily over the last 6 months. I think that despite getting a reasonable amount of sunlight, it needs the summer and direct sunlight under glass (as opposed to polycarbonate). I have other plants laying around rotting and generally dying. So converting the greenhouse to a mini arid biome seemed like a good idea. I had the eureka moment the night before last and got up early in the morning and unscrewed all the wooden shelving, which is now strewn on the lawn.

The end result is here: just using existing plants that needed some love. PS - I did have a Medio-Picta, but I snapped it in two at the base when removing the pot.



This should fill out quite nicely, but I have a few more plants to go in.

wow looks the business how long did that take you

Just a single day Cordyman. This slotted in nicely because I had a load of hardcore to get rid of. I ended up loosing half of it under the arid bed.

Here is where I am up to with the bottomless conservatory. It's been hard work but I have really enjoyed doing it. I am pretty much a novice at DIY, but I have learned as I have gone on.



I budgeted about £1000 for the whole project and I reckon it's going to fall around that figure. The most expensive part is the Palram Sunlite Polycarbonate roof.

My favourite part is the cut out washing machine back I used to make a register plate around the flue. Getting the huge flag stones up (some of which ended up in the greenhouse), has been hard work. I used a Milwaukee PH26X and an HD18PD for general drilling.

That is some conservatory Tom With it's own woodburner

What dimentions is it ?

photonbucket wrote:Just a single day Cordyman. This slotted in nicely because I had a load of hardcore to get rid of. I ended up loosing half of it under the arid bed.

Here is where I am up to with the bottomless conservatory. It's been hard work but I have really enjoyed doing it. I am pretty much a novice at DIY, but I have learned as I have gone on.



I budgeted about £1000 for the whole project and I reckon it's going to fall around that figure. The most expensive part is the Palram Sunlite Polycarbonate roof.

My favourite part is the cut out washing machine back I used to make a register plate around the flue. Getting the huge flag stones up (some of which ended up in the greenhouse), has been hard work. I used a Milwaukee PH26X and an HD18PD for general drilling.

Looks great for a days graft!


The outdoor/indoor conservatory is fantastic too

The dimensions are 4.8 meters by 3.85 meters approx. It's not quite as large as I'd like, but I doubt I could have taken on much more myself. I love coming across problems with the build. Somehow the solution always came to me. It's a great confidence booster.

One benefit is that it is extended from (but not physically attached to), the existing conservatory. So on those hot evenings, we can sit with the double doors open.



I used Bayliss Mk3 autovents (x2) as they are able to lift 6kg. They work really well. This is the smaller of the two vents along with the bodged register plate.



Dave, that isn't a wood burner, it's my exterior Grant Oil Boiler. So heating the house, heats the "biome" with the waste gases in the flue.

Another hard day outside cutting and drilling. I have now tanked the back wall to prevent damp, started the sleeper borders and put up the living wall.

I will post another topic in the main forum because I am stuck for plant species and soil and that is my next job.

Randomly placed plants still in their pots, just to give an idea.

Wow some great handywork there photon!

News flash: The misting system is in. After just a few minutes, the humidity was up to 95% in the biome, even without the door on. (Not fitted yet). There are four of these even spread using 25mm PVC pipe. They spread a nice cloud of vapour.....



I am amazed how many plants pack into such a small area. Already packed out the back corner with Monstera Delicosa, Musa Basjoo, Rhapis Excelsa, hedychium greenii, various dieffenbachia, Anthurium, Zingiber 'Dancing Crane', Brugmansia, alocasia sanderiana, various Bromeliads and some "clingers on" in the form of Tradescantia.

Really interesting project. Did you line the inside of the sleepers?

Ah! I lined the house, but not the sleepers. I guess that is ominous!

I plan to be in this house about 5 years, so I hope they outlast that. Hanging the door today, but with zero expertise.

Brilliant, I love the work so far photon,

did you connect the misting system to the rain water?

I damp the floor down and shut the doors to raise the humidity in my Lunar Module. I'd like to be able to mist the plants, but my water comes from bore holes and is so chalky, deposits on the leaves build up in no time It is the mist always evaporates rather than dripping off.

Best of luck hanging a door, it's not the easiest task

photonbucket wrote:The misting system is in.

What Make / Brand are the misters? They look like fancy rotating jobbies, rather than just nozzles?