Laurie

[Guest guest]

Dear Laurie,

When I read your posts about a greenhouse in the basement, it made

me wish I had one also. I love growing things and when working with

flowers and such, I can get everything off my mind.. something about

getting your hands in the soil, I think. I have a large finished

basement. I am going to have to consider trying to take one of the

rooms and making it into me a place of solitude. I Have tried

hanging flowers in the windows down there, but never thought about

putting up lights and actually growing the flowers myself. I think

it would be good therapy for me.

Do you also have plants hanging or do you just grow plants from the

seeds?

I didnt have flowers outside last year due to allergies but what the

heck, I have them anyway and i might as well enjoy the flowers and

taking care of them.

Thanks for giving me something else to think about. This would be

for me and me alone and I think it would be great to have.

Warmly,

Jean

[Guest guest]

Hi Jean,

Basically my set up is a few of those 4 tiered plastic shelves that

you can get at a home improvement store (like Menards) with

shop lights with 40 watt fluorescent bulbs (I one cool bulb, one

warm bulb). I do not use those expensive grow lights because

you really don't need to. I do just fine getting the marigolds,

petunias, poppies, impatiens, larkspur....anything almost, to

bloom in the basement. I start my babies from seed (Parks and

and are my two favorite companies although

T&M has become quite pricey) and time them so they can go

outside in the garden in the middle of May to the end of June. But

I bet that you could keep annuals in bloom throughout the year if

you stagger the planting time. Every two months start a new

batch or so. I think your idea of having a haven in the basement

is a wonderful one and it is something that I might do once fall

hits so I can have some blooms around during the boring winter

months. I never thought of it like you mentioned. I was using it as

purely a practical thing because with our short summers, if we

don't start plants indoors in January or so, they will never bloom

before the frost would kill them. I guess I forget to think of the

" romance " of the whole set-up!

If you are seriously thinking about starting this, let me know and I

can give you loads of practical advice to what kind of dirt, what

seeds may work the best, how to get them to germinate (some

like cold, some warm, some dark, some light, etc) it really is a

piece of cake though and one of the most fun things that I do.

You have also motivated me to get those pictures developed so I

can show you what I mean - instead of trying to explain. It is

important for you to have your lights on chains so you can move

them up as the plants grow...but that may be confusing unless

you actually see what I mean! Are you near wisconisn? if so, you

can make a field trip and I can show you how I have things set

up. I don't mind giving tours of my basement greenhouse (do I

?!)

Petunias, marigolds, alyssum, snapdragons, impatiens, coleus,

poppies and larkspur all seem to bloom well in the basement

and are usually blooming a few weeks before I am ready to get

them outside. I think a nice basket or even a good size pot will be

really nice in a basement getaway. They are also easy to

germinate and to transplant, are relatively cheap seed and

bloom 8 weeks or so after sowing so you get " instant "

gratification. Plus you can stagger these so you have a constant

basket blooming.

Laurie

[Guest guest]

Dear Laurie,

When I found out that Walgreens called the DEA on me and my doctor, I

was so upset that I went to the store manager and explained that I had

cp and they had no business calling the DEA on someone who has to deal

with pain everyday. He was very understanding because he also had a

relative who had cp and knew all too well about this disease. He

promised me he would speak to the pharmacy staff to see that never

happens again. I told him at all possible I would be taking my business

elsewhere.

It's bad enough when doctors give you problems, you do not need to get

it from your pharmacy as well.

Good Luck,

Janet