#micro climate

Architect Margit Klev from the studio Outline Arkitekter designed a home that redefines sustainability and energy efficiency in an extreme environment.

The greenhouse is just the shell; the house itself—although it shares some common areas—was mainly built and designed independently in terms of enclosures, insulation, and climate control system.

The indoor temperature remains constant, reducing the need for heating in winter and cooling in summer, and you can also grow your vegetables or fruits.

The central idea is simple but brilliant. A conventional house that is wrapped by a greenhouse structure. This “climate shield” protects the home and creates a stable microclimate.

9 days until Spring and this is a snap shot of what's going on in my capsicum patch.

These babies have over wintered so well in their little micro climate next to a sunny brick wall. These plants are about 4 years old now.

Was able to get a wheat straw bale, bale of wood shavings and the little chick mash (plus baby feeders). Girls have the cages clean and ready; heat lamps good. We have now created a little chick nursery.  I had to keep pushing the person at the feed store to tell me an ETA so I can stand in line tomorrow. This seems ridiculous but I am getting sincere.

I looked at the old chicken coup and saplings have grown up so I need to get help moving it (the coop) forward so we can get both doors open again. Worse case, I will either dig up or cut down the saplings (I think they are cherry plums). I still have time for that.

Wandered around to the back to see if this morning’s rain was good enough watering for the day when I came to a halt …. aphids overnight! But before I reached them I just about had a problem and a half … those little sparrows are now decimating my seed crop of winter greens! They are not ripe, still a couple of weeks min out, but the little featherheads are trashing the pods. I still had two length of bird netting so we shoved everything up under and netted the whole mounding box, tying it off with twine. Hope and pray that is the end of them doing that. But for certain, I will have to net the blueberries which will probably be ready in a couple of weeks. Definitely something to get a jump on because these little buggers don’t wait for ripe nor ready!

Threw more slug and snail bait as in one box there was absolutely no bait (either washed away or bird eaten?).

Waiting impatiently for my tea camellias who are now estimating late next month. My fear is that they have my money for a month, then they run out and just issue me a store credit instead. That will not do as that they stop shipping plants June 1! Trying to stay positive but things have not been with me in the garden this year!