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Building Garden Rooms to increase your Zone


Alicehunter2000

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How many people have put, or thought about putting, a fenced-in area within their larger yard area to specifically create a micro-climate? I was thinking that if you could build a solid fenced-in area about 6-10 ft. tall and sealed up near the ground with a berm of soil, you could create something that might increase temps 5 degrees or so.....maybe even have a firepit in the middle to add extra warmth on the coldest nights.........dumb idea? Anybody got something like this?....pictures?

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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How big we talkin? I use pop up greenhouses that are 7-9 feet tall. Take em down in spring summer and fall and admire your plants that no one else has. That's my answer instead of the garden room idea. Search online for the exotic rainforest. A type of conservatory at a guys house in Arkansas filled with all kinds of tropicals.

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My old yard had a much better micro-climate than my open site. Fences and walls accomplish a lot.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Why don't you wait to get some canopy from your hardy palms? Once you have canopy, that may give you a half zone and you can try more tender stuff. Without any canopy, I'm affraid any sort of fenced in area is actually going to be even colder because cold air will just settle thanks to the open night sky.

Try to learn about infrared radiation and how that plays the biggest role in a freeze. You may get some convective freezes as well down there, but generally, in a radiative freeze, it's all about IR losses and gains.

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I will be putting in a wall on the North/east/west at some point....but I have another issue of sound mitigation from the busy street and future construction activity around me. I have probably 2/3 overhead canopy for my small yard and am putting in some dicots ect. to fill in the gaps. I guess my question is not so much for myself but for others that are zone pushing. If you have a larger yard and if you have some canopy, has anyone thought about building or have built a fenced/walled-in area to zone push. Seems like a logical idea and not too expensive to construct. Something like a 20x20 ft. area...maybe?

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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The problem is if its fenced in--- you CANT SEE IT! You can sit on your porch and admire your fence and imagine how awesome the tropicals inside the fence must look.

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Unless you plant your normal hardy material around your fencing. Ideas could include shrubs, clumping hardy monocots/dicots, bamboo etc......the term "hidden garden" and "garden room" comes to mind. I have been thinking about vertical gardening using hardy broms and succulants. There would also be the added benefit of additional insulation value of thick plantings both inside and outside of the fencing.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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I moved to palmetto florida, 9b, march2010 and rapidly started to assemble my palm garden. Coming from zone9a and having my zone push thwarted somewhat in Arizona, I reassessed how I might come up with a plan that has a better chance of a successful zone push. Its probably true that one can only expect to push 1/2 zone successfully by micro climate management. Some of the keys for zone pushing that 1/2 zone are:

1) overhead hardy canopy works great for radiational cooling, but protection against advective events also needs windbreaks to keep heat near the garden

2) planting near a heated dwelling is a good way to ensure a better microclimate if you can have good windblock. Add in canopy and and you should have a much better chance of a successful push.

3) know weather patterns in your area, what direction does the cold come from and where does the warmer winter air, in general, come from.

4) emergency fire pit anyone?

So my strategy started with understanding that the north facing front of my house would be a cold spot, and to oppose it would be an uphill battle, better to go with the flow. this was determined from the coldest air coming from north and northeast(northwest is tampa bay, west the gulf)and the fact that I would have a hard time blocking wind out at the street. So this area in front and to the north/northeast I gave up to the even(9b) or 1/2 zone colder(9a) choices. In back my yard is shallow(25'deep from house to fence), but I also had a nice fence along the back boundary and (5) 20' live oaks on the other side of the fence in back, courtesy of the HOA. Also on the other side of the fence is a forested buffer zone, an area that is likely to be low wind and has some oak canopy, but alas it is to the south. It was this back yard area that I knew would be the best chance of a zone push to 10a. This area also will always get strong summer(northern) sun over the 1 story rooftop, so I could grow sun loving species that could also be protected by the live oak and proximity of the dwelling. The sides of the yard are each 35' from house to border and pretty open as neighbors also have similar spacinged almost nothing. So the sides of the yard would be susceptible to plenty of cold wind.

I first started with canopy, adding two more live oaks, a small phoenix sylvestris(they grow fast), livistona chinensis clump(5), (2) livistona decora, a magnolia grandiflora tree, and a bottle brush tree(small tree). These are all rated to 9a or lower. After Dec 2010 hit and killed off some of my unwise decisions in the front yard, I ordered some more cold hardy palms as seedlings: sabal uresana, domingensis and brahea clara. Also at this time I started looking at wind block that would not grow tall. Serenoa repens, chamaerops, arenga engleri,and caruota mitis in a warm spot. Attached is an image of the plantings, most but not all are rendered with their color coded zones. the splashes are palms, the stars are trees. Note how all the zone pushes are in the backyard warm spot or up next to the house.

Formerly in Gilbert AZ, zone 9a/9b. Now in Palmetto, Florida Zone 9b/10a??

 

Tom Blank

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We make hoop houses out of pvc pipe and greenhouse grade opaque plastic. This is cheap, easy to use and protects our palms in the coldest of weather in northern Florida. We just leave the plastic beside the hoop when not in use. One person can pull the plastic over the pvc hoop when needed. We also had cold weather for several days and because the plastic is opague there was no damage from sunlight. The plastic is 14 ft wide, opaque-white and 300 ft long 4 mil at Home Depot Model CF0514W and sells for $160. The hoop house is around 6 ft wide x 25 ft long so that fits the plastic size 14 ft width perfectly and still allows you to reach the interior plants. In my attached photo you can see the "base" pvc pipe that is a little bit larger in diameter than the 10 ft pvc sticks that will bend completely over. The base pvc 3/4" diameter and needs cut at an angle with 2 ft tall. Pound the base angled end down about a foot so you have a foot above ground to secure the bent pole. Now you will need to cut a slit in the top of the base a few inches down (sawzall) to expand the diameter a little so the smaller bent pvc 1/2" will go in tightly and stay. The height of the hoop house is about 5 ft based on the bent over 10 ft pvc stick. FYI - We tried to use black plastic pipe first and that did not work so we stick to this proven pvc design now.

3/4" pvc is for the base

1/2" pvc is for the bent pole

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa359/backyardparadise/IMG_2855.jpg

IMG_2855.jpg

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa359/backyardparadise/IMG_2890.jpg

IMG_2890.jpg

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa359/backyardparadise/IMG_2889.jpg

IMG_2889.jpg

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I had a PVC hoop house last year over my heliconias. It was all good until one cold front came through with 40 mph gusts. It crumbled. Now I have spent good money on the spring gardener greenhouses.

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I will be putting in a wall on the North/east/west at some point....but I have another issue of sound mitigation from the busy street and future construction activity around me. I have probably 2/3 overhead canopy for my small yard and am putting in some dicots ect. to fill in the gaps. I guess my question is not so much for myself but for others that are zone pushing. If you have a larger yard and if you have some canopy, has anyone thought about building or have built a fenced/walled-in area to zone push. Seems like a logical idea and not too expensive to construct. Something like a 20x20 ft. area...maybe?

Don't laugh, but now that I am traveling a lot, the best investment I have made are my new Bose Quiet Comfort Noise Cancelling Headphones. My next door neighbors are building their home now. My wife was trying to take a nap the other day while the heavy equipment was going next door. I put those on her head, flipped the switch, and she was asleep in 5 min. I will be wearing them outside a lot, now, especially when I am chilling out on the porch just looking at the garden. Those headphones are as close to magic as it gets.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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I moved to palmetto florida, 9b, march2010 and rapidly started to assemble my palm garden. Coming from zone9a and having my zone push thwarted somewhat in Arizona, I reassessed how I might come up with a plan that has a better chance of a successful zone push. Its probably true that one can only expect to push 1/2 zone successfully by micro climate management. Some of the keys for zone pushing that 1/2 zone are:

1) overhead hardy canopy works great for radiational cooling, but protection against advective events also needs windbreaks to keep heat near the garden

2) planting near a heated dwelling is a good way to ensure a better microclimate if you can have good windblock. Add in canopy and and you should have a much better chance of a successful push.

3) know weather patterns in your area, what direction does the cold come from and where does the warmer winter air, in general, come from.

4) emergency fire pit anyone?

So my strategy started with understanding that the north facing front of my house would be a cold spot, and to oppose it would be an uphill battle, better to go with the flow. this was determined from the coldest air coming from north and northeast(northwest is tampa bay, west the gulf)and the fact that I would have a hard time blocking wind out at the street. So this area in front and to the north/northeast I gave up to the even(9b) or 1/2 zone colder(9a) choices. In back my yard is shallow(25'deep from house to fence), but I also had a nice fence along the back boundary and (5) 20' live oaks on the other side of the fence in back, courtesy of the HOA. Also on the other side of the fence is a forested buffer zone, an area that is likely to be low wind and has some oak canopy, but alas it is to the south. It was this back yard area that I knew would be the best chance of a zone push to 10a. This area also will always get strong summer(northern) sun over the 1 story rooftop, so I could grow sun loving species that could also be protected by the live oak and proximity of the dwelling. The sides of the yard are each 35' from house to border and pretty open as neighbors also have similar spacinged almost nothing. So the sides of the yard would be susceptible to plenty of cold wind.

I first started with canopy, adding two more live oaks, a small phoenix sylvestris(they grow fast), livistona chinensis clump(5), (2) livistona decora, a magnolia grandiflora tree, and a bottle brush tree(small tree). These are all rated to 9a or lower. After Dec 2010 hit and killed off some of my unwise decisions in the front yard, I ordered some more cold hardy palms as seedlings: sabal uresana, domingensis and brahea clara. Also at this time I started looking at wind block that would not grow tall. Serenoa repens, chamaerops, arenga engleri,and caruota mitis in a warm spot. Attached is an image of the plantings, most but not all are rendered with their color coded zones. the splashes are palms, the stars are trees. Note how all the zone pushes are in the backyard warm spot or up next to the house.

Interesting how considerations are so different for Florida. Here it's all about mitgating radiational effects, so elevation, wind exposure and canopy is what one looks for. My exposed wind protected lower garden only gets cold hardy palm plantings.
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Tom, your description is perfect. These were all the factors that I considered as well. My setup is not that different than yours except that my front is south facing and I don't have the side yards. The backyard is a similar dimension and because it faces north, I really have to try and mitigate the winter north winds. At least you have your house to protect you. The neighborhood next to mine has many "Moroccan Style" homes with courtyard areas. Some of the walls to the courtyards are 10 ft. plus in height and white stucco. I can imagine that this would provide a nice microclimate for the plants inside these areas. Considering doing that with my house and building it inside the north facing community vinyl fence and down both sides of the house. Thick plantings, both canopy and understory should round out the plan. Since it is north facing, it stays pretty cool back there in the summer time, this is what is making me consider some Rhopies or cool tolerant plantings that one does not normally try in Florida. Try and post some pictures if you get a chance......Also have you ever considered blocking the sides of your house with fencing since the wind sweeps down the sides and whirls into your backyard in the winter?

IdolLurker.......what you are doing is something very different. I was kind of in your predicament at my old house with lots and lots of potted plants. Much of that stuff is now in the ground or has been given away, swapped with other plant people. I still got some potted specimens but not to the extent that you obviously do. That is quite an operation. Looks like you have found a cost effective way to keep things alive. I would be interested in coming by sometime and checking out what you have growing. I might have a couple of things to trade. :) You will find as your plants get bigger, you are faced with having to plant them out or sell/trade/give them away. What I am talking about is that next step.....creating a hardscaped/fenced/walled area to keep some of the more marginal stuff alive in our cold winters.

Keith....noise cancelling headphones....hmm...you might be on to something there. I'm married with children.....you might REALLY be on to something there. :floor:

Axel....yes ....our cold fronts typically blow hard and cold....but usually not freezing cold....or if it is freezing cold it is not super freezing cold. Our super cold weather normally comes after the wind has died down , a day or two later........then the bottom falls out. I normally hope that there is just a bit of wind to keep the frost away.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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post-97-0-90474400-1387167182_thumb.jpg

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Wow, now this is cool! Now I get the concept. If you created a walled in 10'x10' you could fill the walls with this stuff and put licuala right in the middle. You would create a nice little microclimate. Now you perked my interest, I might just just want to do something like that.

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lol.....great.....I was hoping someone would catch my drift....I got a tiny little yard anyway, so sectioning an even smaller area would be doable for me as well.....I just got to make sure the wife is on board.

The way I see it you can create rooms outside that function similarly as an indoor room, except no roof...you can put some seating area's or hammocks, water features etc.....lots of cool things to do with a small space that has no top other than maybe some tall canopy-scape. Even supplemental heat such as a chimnaya, firepit, lights that put off a lot of heat could be used more effectively on a small enclosed area as well. Let me know what you come up with.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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lol.....great.....I was hoping someone would catch my drift....I got a tiny little yard anyway, so sectioning an even smaller area would be doable for me as well.....I just got to make sure the wife is on board.

The way I see it you can create rooms outside that function similarly as an indoor room, except no roof...you can put some seating area's or hammocks, water features etc.....lots of cool things to do with a small space that has no top other than maybe some tall canopy-scape. Even supplemental heat such as a chimnaya, firepit, lights that put off a lot of heat could be used more effectively on a small enclosed area as well. Let me know what you come up with.

You need to use some architectural features to create a room, because doing a full 10x10 enclosure won't feel nice for people, it's basic tenants of architectural design.

I would recommend only a two sided wall with a fire pit on the other side, and using trees for canopy to complete the microclimate. See diagram below:

Untitleddrawing_zpscd89ef35.jpg

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Nice diagram.....you could actually do low walls on the south and west sides to prohibit cold drainage from the surrounding area (covered with vegitation to disguise it) and working doorway. This would still allow light from the south and west. I like the way you got the fireplace directed at the corner to reflect the heat back into the area.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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This guy had some great outdoor room shows on HGTV.......an Aussie I believe.

post-97-0-71941600-1387248930_thumb.jpg

Something more like we were discussing

post-97-0-46361400-1387249218.jpg

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Some more ideas

post-97-0-28415600-1387249653_thumb.jpg

This is a walled in urban garden in San Francisco

post-97-0-20938700-1387251145_thumb.jpg

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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