my greenhouse

i am a big fan of the fern. since becoming a home owner in franklin it has been my "signature" to hang ferns on my front porch in the summer. i think they are beautiful and they require little maintenance. last spring ryan's dad, ned, called on his way to the local farmer's market and asked if we needed anything. ryan asked him to price ferns for me because i always try to get the biggest fern at the best price. i should've known, knowing ned, that he'd show up not only with ferns but two of the biggest ferns i have ever laid eyes on. he said they were a mother's day gift to me and i was touched. because they were my first mother's day gift and so incredibly beautiful i am making it my mission to keep them alive through the winter.

heather's mom, diane, is an avid gardener and knows quite a bit about plants. she has given me advice on everything from identifying weeds in my flower beds to growing an orchid (i killed it). while we were visiting the botanical gardens i sought her advice on keeping the ferns through the winter as well as bringing in several geraniums that were thriving on the patio. she suggested keeping all the plants together and creating a humid environment for them if possible. she explained to me how i might do that and i listened with interest. i just happen to have a large bay window in the back of the house that gets a lot of winter sun. it is in that window that i have created a makeshift greenhouse that i hope will allow my plants to survive the long winter. ryan even suggested using the electric heater below the window to occasionally create steam by using damp sponges. if it works it'll be INGENIOUS. regardless, i am proud of the way it turned out and, hopefully, i'll be reporting in the spring that everything survived.

thanks diane for the advice! wish me luck!