Canna lilies and greenhouse construction

Just to update on all the canna lilies I have been keeping this winter, most of them have stopped growing after I moved them all into the spare room at the window.  Because they were so big and I had to space them all out across the floor, it became nearly impossible to properly water them without it taking a lot of time, so I allowed them to dry out a lot and it was interesting to see how they responded.

First, they let some of their lower leaves brown and dry out.  As the soil dried up, they also started to lean over because they were so tall and the soil was too dry to hold them upright.  I will be curious to take a look at the root systems soon to see if the rootlets were sacrificed in order to preserve moisture in the bulb.

My plan is to cut most of them down (I have already done this today), wet the roots and then put the bulbs outside for the rest of the winter.  I am a little concerned that by not letting them go dormant for a few months, they might be under stress.  So, given that we haven't had any extreme cold temperatures so far this winter, and that forecasts look good going forward in March, I am confident that the lilies will not be in any danger outside for the next 4-6 weeks.

I have salvaged a few of the rarer lilies I have and will continue to grow them, as well as a couple of the better looking red lilies I have just so that I have a few that are mature by the time planting season rolls around.


As for the greenhouse construction, I learned a very important lesson last week:  paint the lumber before you construct the frame.  Luckily, I still have some construction to do and the remaining lumber will be painted and ready before it is added to the frame.  Getting into the corners and bottom edges is a pain to deal with, especially when the ground is soggy and cold.

There is a little hiccup with the construction due to recent weather and because my recycled 6x6 end-piece was evidently too weathered to be recycled afterall.  So, in keeping with the past couple months, the costs of the greenhouse project continue to spiral--though fortunately costs are not spiraling completely out of control; all the expenses are manageable in spite of their inconvenience.