Very beautiful. Enjoy adding plants.

Laura! I'm so jealous! (Oh, bad sentiment especially during the Holidays, right? Oh well, jealous will have to do.) It's beautiful and just the perfect size. Your hoyas and orchids will be so happy in there. A little plastic or frost cloth and a string of Christmas lights (the big "old school" type) and it will stay toasty warm too.

Was this done by your personal 'handy man' or did you find someone who builds these?

Kate

My handyman has remodeled the kitchen and bathroom in our last house (now a rental)...remodeled my bathroom in my old house, replaced screen, built my potting bench, installs tile, fixes toilet and sprinkler systems! About the only thing he says he can't do is lay brick. I don't know what I'd do with out him. I did give his name to my sister...who then give it to someone else...but no more! His ID is now a secret!

Cool! To keep it warm, all you really need to do is rig up some way to cover the sides with plastic when needed. My friend attached plastic onto long dowels and rolled them up, put up hooks on his to hang the dowels on. Then he just unrolls the plastic. That way, he doesn't have to staple it up every year. Works great. I don't know how he covers the top, though. I'll have to ask.

Wow. That's a stunning shade house, Laura.

Something I learned from a lovely 70+ year old orchid grower in Stuart is that it would be wise to put 4 coats of waterseal on the 4 x 4's and lattice before bringing the plants in. (She won best of show last year, and she's a honey.)

Great advice, Junk Yard Girl!

Way to go, Laura!

Hi
I converted the screenroom into a shadehouse around 25 years ago and also built two smaller ones from wood which Wilma removed lol.
One almost insoluable problem has been heat build up even in winter..
The longest lasting materials has been aluminum framework with vinyl lattice. Has proven to be the strongest,most decay resistant.
Have tried all kinds of materials as a covering. The most adaptable has been frost cloth as a partial covering and then only when temps fall below freezing.
You will be amazed at the heat gain the next day after a cold front passes. Putting it on and off is a real pain and storing the stuff the 95 percent of the year when not needed is tough also. Everything I've tried degraded over time even fiberglass panels.
During the last remodel I went back to vinyl lattioe with hardware cloth no shadecloth or screen, using vines which can be cut back during winter
I keep a heated 150 gallon aquarium for the primary heat source which works well down to about 35. It's connected to the 1000 gallon outdoor pond and a waterfall distributes the heat as well as boosts the humidity.
One tip I learned the hard way don't plant ANYTHING directly in the ground. Use pots that can be manuvered around as the "jungle " develops.
I planted pine cone ginger and heliconia and have been unable to control them or get rid of them lol
Good luck with yours . Not sure why but a shadehouse works magic .lol Plants seem to grow twice as fast inside lol gary

Thanks for the suggestions and tips y'all. JYG I was thinking of a system like you described with roll up plastic and have been trying to work it out in my mind.
Marilyn-the posts are wood so I should probably treat them even though they are "pressure treated" already. The lattice is vinyl.
Gary-the aquarium sounds like an interesting solution...
I'll keep in mind not to plant anything in the ground!
thanks all.

congrats, laura.
that's awesome!
looks like quite a positive, constructive place.
always good to have in a garden.

Laura, my friend says he just tosses a tarp over the top, and has strings through the eyeholes on the tarp that he ties to the bottom of the lattice. That also keep the plastic on the sides in place, but he also puts a few bricks on the bottom. He cut the plastic to where it is about 2 feet longer than the sides to accomodate it going down onto the ground, and under the bricks. In the summer, he just stashes the bricks under the benches.

He says that you need to leave a vent space to keep the plants from frying when the sun comes out. He has a vent pipe in the top, and the tarp is cut to accomodate it poking through. The reason he uses a tarp instead of plastic on the top is for shade, which also helps prevent sunburn.

Laura, it looks great! You are going to have so much fun with it. I keep thinking of Castorp's (was it Castorp?) who has a shadehouse and hangs pretty flowering baskets on the outside of the lattice. Of course, it looks great as is, I just thought it was such a great idea when I saw it.

You are quite the lucky woman who has a skilled and versatile handyman!

Anna

laura
I wasn't sure I could keep an aquarium outdoors year around even in ten . When Frances destroyed my Marine setup I moved the tank to the shadehouse . Produced the best planted aquarium I've ever had could even grow the finicky lace plants. So decided to also heat the lily pool and ciculate with the aquarium. I guessed at 1800 watts . Works well down to around 35. Without bubble wrap and styrofoam on the aquarium it couldn't keep up with the heat loss. Was a washout at keeping the air warm as it fell below 45 even directly above the pool. Temps equalized by 9 AM. with no loss of humidity. I am more concerned with the fish than the plants so will not allow it to fall below 60.
It has worked the best of any system I've tried even helps with reducing summer heat.
About a month ago the aquarium developed a slow leak!!!
Right in the middle of winter of course.!! Will require a complete new setup of the tank but still have the heated pool.lol
I guess it will give me a chance to try some different methods as I think I'm on to something just a few more problems to solve lol. My beloved lace plants were just waking up had to move them to the pool where I'm sure they won't get enough light and the water is too warm.
Oh well I guess this is the "fun " of gardening ??? lol
gary

This is wonderful! Thank you for posting it. I sure wish you could sell the blueprints because i would love one myself.
You might want to think about getting those roll up blinds they sell at home depot if you desire more insulation. I'm in zone 10 b and dont think I would need then except in some kind of dire emergancy. They are easy to just hang up and roll as you need them. and they are pretty and cheap too.
Wanted to thank you again for sharing this- I'm going to show it to my gardener/ handyman. If he can do it, i'll post pictures-
thank you!

Nice!
Tropcialfreak