Voilà! Verdigris!

Verdigris is the natural result of condensation on copper, bronze, and / or brass.  This blog will show you how to quickly and easily experiment with paints to create a verdigris technique that works well on a variety of surfaces.

Conservation: Greenhouse 101 by r. r. bernet

Follow #LittleBearProd (r.r. bernet)'s board CONSERVATION: Greenhouse Recycling Old Windows & Growing Plants on Pinterest.

Our step-by-step foray into constructing an #upcycled #Greenhouse out of #recycled windows that were destined for the dump...

Note:  This blog post is an ongoing chronicle of the construction of our #Greenhouse project, so it starts with the most recent entries at the top... To read this story from the beginning, scroll down to the first entry.

~ Entry 14 ~

One of the main reasons for creating this upcycled greenhouse is because we get blasted with strong, cold winds late every afternoon. All the years of trying to grow any sort of vegetables, or herbs, was fruitless (pun intended) due to the wind. The greenhouse definitely blocks wind, however because the windows are recycled from a house, they've been treated to guard against sunlight. So we've installed a couple of grow lights. Our temps get cold at night, however it typically warms up for a few hours in the afternoon, so the heartier plants go outside for direct sunlight, weather permitting. The smaller herbs are faring quite well under just the growlights, so they're definitely working!

Pride of Madeira by r. r. bernet

Pride of Madiera by r. r. bernet

Echium candicans, commonly known as pride of Madeira, is a species of flowering plant native to the island of Madeira. Pride of Madeira is widely available throughout the world as an ornamental plant for traditional and drought tolerant water conserving gardens. It is particularly suitable for coastal planting, and is a popular ornamental in coastal California. With a minimum temperature requirement of 41–45 °F, in frost-prone areas it needs some winter protection. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Morning Glories by r. r. bernet

Trumpet Blooms by r. r. bernet

Photograph © 2013 r. r. bernet
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Fall in San Francisco by r. r. bernet

Photograph © 2013  r. r. bernet
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

After the rain... by r. r. bernet

Photograph © 2013 r. r. bernet
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Pretty in Pink: Foxglove (Digitalis) by r. r. bernet

Photograph © 2010 r. r. bernet
For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

The Epiphytes of Spring

Epiphytes are cactus-like. They blossom brilliantly in the spring with large, short-lived flowers. Sometimes referred to as "air cactus," they need minimal soil and thrive in large hanging pots with minimal watering - "feeding out of the air". I hang them in my trees and from the crossbeam of my balcony, framing the view of the neighborhood.