Temporary shelter for Tender plants

A week or two ago, when our evening lows dipped briefly into the 30's, I sheltered my more tender plants in one corner of my back porch under a makeshift lean-to, involving a frost cloth and plenty of duct tape. Though it had the advantage of keeping my plants about 10 degrees warmer than the outside world, this proved to be a very impractical solution for any long term sheltering needs, especially since there is too much shade on the porch for most of these plants. Add to that the aesthetic issues and the fact that duct taping one side of a frost cloth to the house and lugging plants around to put underneath it is a rather time-consuming process, and the makeshift lean-to becomes quite unappealing, despite its effectiveness.

Because my garage hasn't got any extra space for dormant container plants, and because I'd like a sunny place to keep my tender plants during the winter, I splurged on a pop-out greenhouse , which I ordered online from Home Depot. It arrived yesterday. From the looks of things, it pops out about as easily as certain kinds of car shades, children's play products, and laundry hampers, and is supported by poles and stakes, much the way a camping tent would be. It even has a shade cover for its little roof, to keep things from getting too hot in the greenhouse, and it came with a zip-up bag to put it into, when it is not in use. It appears the manufacturers built it so that it could be used year round, if the customer desires. I think I'll probably use it just during the winter, though. While flimsier than the real thing, this little temporary greenhouse should serve my purposes during our brief spells of cold. The Texas gulf coast is essentially one great big greenhouse about 8 months out of the year, so I am reluctant to put up anything permanent.

Photo Source: FlowerHouse Greenhouses

So, now the 'Blue Northers' can blow when they will, and my containerized hibiscus, bougainvillea, plumbago, and avocado plants will have a warm, cozy place to ride out the winter. Call it an early Christmas present for my plants. :)