My greenhouse is really a large shed that I drag my tropical fruit trees and plants in on freezing nights . We live in 2 different places and grow the trees and plants in our back yard ,in the spring we transport them to our 5 acre farm and plant them. We spend most of the winter months on the farm so that on freezing nights we can run the sprinklers , so far it's been working out well for us.

Beautiful photos I really like the layered (canopy) effect of your 'tropical rainforest'!
I agree about the regular non variegated monstera. I had one out in 22 degrees when I lived in Southern LA. I had it under another plant so the frost didn't touch the leaves so it didn't really die back much at all. I also found out that they don't require as much humidity as I used to think because I grew them outdoors in the shade in AZ and it was 120+ and extremely dry in the summer. I know the variegatated one does require major humidity though. The reg. monstera didn't do as well as they would in a humid area but they did good. Same for some of the gingers I previously thought would croak in those hot dry conditions.
I have had greenhouses in warmer zones too. I am planning to get one here as well because some things are more tropical and I am now in a 9a, and some things, I just don't want to have to start over with.. like certain of my standard-style brugs etc.
~SJN

bihai- Thanks for sharing with us your greenhouse and the beautful tropicals you have growing inside. I love your Philodendron warscewiczi, the folige shape is just amazing!!!!And your Variegated monstera is to die for ;0)I have a split leaf philodendron and another type of philodendron that is very common and I see every where.And your green house is cool, I can just wonder what the rest of the greenhouse looks like!

Here in Texas I do not have a greenhouse but most of my plants are overwintered in the house or the garage.And when I overwinter them in the garage there is no room for anything else-But hey I love my plants!

Rigo

I am in zone 10 a.... but there are a few plants that I have considered getting a small conseratory for .

One is the Jade vine and the other is the sealing wax palm.

Had them both...but they get to big to lug in and out.

I lost them both the last week of 2000..... was in the hospital and poor dh was lost without me LOL !

All it took was 1 night below 45 and then they were gone !

No greenhouse for me, but it surprises me that more northern gardeners don't do a greenhouse in your style. To have a greenhouse that is nothing but shelves and plants is to me like having a collection of plants period.

I have most of my tree canopy back, although it is a far different canopy than before Wilma. But hopefully it is enough of a canopy again to protect my ultra tropicals if we get a brief frost. After Wilma I needed some shade FAST, as many of my plants were used to shade. I planted some papaya seeds in triangular patterns to give me a quick canopy and it has worked well. Three years out, I'm happy with how full and mature the papayas are, although I worry a bit that they are not long term trees.

Fawnridge,
I love crotons. I have a few, none rare I don't think. I like pink tones, and especially like a small Croton 'Piecrust' I picked up last season at USF.

Jupiterplants, I know what you mean about the Sealing Wax palm. I currently have 4 of them. They are growing well. I killed my first one that I had several years ago by planting it too close to the sliding door of the greenhouse, where there was unfortunately a draft. It got a bit chilled and bit the dust. I made certain to plant the new ones (I was really, REALLY lucky and got them for only $10 each when I made a larger order from Hawaii, otherwise I wouldn't have so many)pretty far into the much warmer interior of the GH.

I really like palms and am a sucker for the smaller growing understory palms that have new red leaves. This is one of my favorites, Calyptrocalyx pachystachis
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I am also a sucker for the "finger like" Anthuriums. I bought this Anthurium polydactylon off of eBay 2 years ago as a smallish plant, and finally trained it up a totem. I habe been growing the Costus "Maroon Chalice" for years and love the bright red architectural look of its stems. I discovered by trial and error that the Costus "Green Chalice" is actually root hardy here and comes back, but the Maroon Chalice doesn't. So I keep a goodly patch going in the GH

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thank you to everyone who has replied so far. I'd like to see pics of your stuff!

Bihai, seeing your pictures reminds me of the greenhouses in botanical gardens in Europe. You are so lucky to have such a huge GH!
If I were to play the lottery I would win a mio. I'd spend it on an automated shade-/greenhouse over my entire backyard. I have the perfect vision of how it looks and works.... since I don't play (rather spend the dollar on plants for instant gratification) my garage is the greenhouse during the cold nights.

Your plants are spectacular as they always has been.
I don't have a green house here.
Barb

What beautiful pictures you posted. I really enjoyed looking at them! THanks!
JOy

This is a photo from today of part of my yard.
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I guess this photo is a little over a year ago.
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This is a cleaned up and mulched photo of the area, after Wilma. This photo is the same area, but opposite direction of the first 2 photos.
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This was right after Wilma. I guess that's kinda obvious.
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I know I have some more photos....one of these days when they are all organized, I'll find them easier.

I LOVE long postings like this one - especially with wonderful photos. What an incredible 'area' you have. Do things more or less work together as far as dealing with things like mold or fungus issues? or do you need to treat for it. We had a commercial greenhouse up north 40 years ago ( no one asks why we had one up there..lol) and had to find ways to deal with all sorts of things. Yours is absolutely wonderful!!!

Minibim,
your yard and mine look a lot the same as far as the bananas. I have several groves planted on the property. They do so well here, provided that they get enough water. That certainly hasn;t been an issue this summer, LOL. It's raining right now!! I have that same variegated pineapple in my yard too (in several different locations) They are so hardy and really look striking planted en masse.

Buttterflyy, I don't have that many mold and fungus issues. It does grow on the walls of the GH where water hits consistently, my solution is to pressure wash the walls once or twice a season. If a particular area has a heavy buildup, I will pre-treat with a little bleach, but mostly it just washes off with a hard spray from the powerwasher. Some of the plants whose leaves catch water (like some of the larger neoregelia bromeliads) get an algae patch on a leaf, I just use the "flat" setting on the hose sprayer and powerwash it off, LOL.

Here are a few more photos:
One of my favorite Anthuriums, plowmanii, with some orchids and Etlingera fulgens and my baby Darian Palm
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The base of the totem from the very first photo (The philo on the treestump) later acquired a Philo "Silver Metal" at its base, and the basket of Philo "Brasil" hangs down about to the ground
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I wish I had acreage further north of here (I'd love to live up above Ocala somewhere), and the money to do what you've done. My plants all live outdoors and some are hauled inside for cold snaps and storms, some put on the back porch, and some in the garage. I've been saying for years I'm only bringing things home from now on that can stay outdoors year-round, but you know how that goes.

I'd just like to have a drop-side greenhouse, so I could keep it open in the summer, and close it for bad weather.

Absolutely stunning!
I love the way your orchids are inter-mingled with everything else!
Happy...happy plants for certain.

Didn't you mention a water feature?
Can you post a pic of it?
I'm such a sucker for'm and have plans to install one in our courtyard...IF it ever gets done! ..LOL

Hi
Always find that "Why do you want a GH in zone 10?? question amusing. Same reason you'd want one in any zone lol
It's too hot too cold too wet too dry and I want to be a zone stretcher just like you lol
have been working on a GH for 30 years for zone 10 but all I've found is what doesn't work lol
By comprimising on what I grow and the method I can get an almost. I hate it when the orchids I'm growing on a tree outdoors grow and flower just as well as the "pampered " ones .lol
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have an area that stayed between 50/80, never had too much wind , and always ideal water?? Okay I want some of those high altitude beauties that shrivel at 75 and go into a tail spin at 40 lol.
A wide open shadehouse has been the best compromise on a year around basis year after year.
Even if the temps were ideal a central location cuts the amount of work in half.
My "protected"grow area is 12x25 and the runaway number one problem is GROWTH . But when you think about it no matter how large the GH there are plenty of plants that are WAY to big.
You beat a lot of the major problems by making your GH a larger size. with high ceilings. A world apart from my 10 foots lol
My situation is also complicated by the birds I keep in it. They can be mixed but a dedicated aviary is always a a good idea. Now for the fish frogs turtles and where can I keep my Okapi lol gary