The Story or Our First Green House

We didn't know what was coming until after the first frost stuck. When I woke up that Saturday morning, there was a sprinkling of white icing all over the grass around the house and on my vegetable patches. By noon, all the frost had melted but my plants were a sorry sight. Except for the Oregano, Mint, Purple Basil and the Mustard, all the other plants had turned blackish and looked tired. 

I felt so sorry for them. There was plenty of sunshine after that but I decided to protect them from further devastation. After looking at several DIY videos about how to build your own, inexpensive green house, we bought PVC pipes, brackets and a huge roll of plastic sheet. My husband and I were very proud of the green house we built-rather crude but cute. The important thing was that the plants were now shielded from the onslaught of the weather. Or so I imagined. The next morning, the green house was on the ground, thanks to the gale that blew all night. I began to understand how strong the winds of Fort Wayne could be. We returned the PVC pipes and the brackets but I decided to give it another go with the plastic sheet, a rope and clips. This time, I suspended the rope from the top of the drain pipes along the wall of the patio and hung the plastic sheet over it. It helped cover the small bed that was right outside the patio. 

I held the plastic sheets down with some bricks. This make shift tent however, stood only for a few days. The winds were so strong that they began to rip apart the plastic sheet. I had to watch most of my plants go. 

I tried replanting the chili and the tomatoes but they too died soon. The Mustard seemed very sturdy. So much so that even light snow didn't kill it. We gratefully harvested the mustard greens and cooked them with lentils-which tasted delicious. I potted the basil, oregano, mint and mustard in pots and started tending to them in the patio. 

 There was one lone coriander plant that had braved the rough weather! Filled with renewed hope, I planted more coriander seeds, a ginger root that had sprouted and fenugreek-the ever faithful that always grew, no matter what.

When it got too cold, I let them enjoy the warmth of the house on the kitchen table.

During winter break when we were traveling, I left the pot with the coriander seeds out in the patio, as there was no sign of life in it. I hoped the rest of my kitchen table garden would survive our absence, for our sake and For Earth's Sake!