The Greenhouse Expansion: The greenhouse doubled in size in 2004. The structure is now 30 feet wide by 100 feet long and there was about 3600 square feet of multilevel bench space all dedicated to orchids during this incarnation.
In 2003 I converted the garage of my home into a head house where orchid repotting chores and mail order box packing could be done conveniently. The head house is connected to the greenhouse and provides a front door entrance to customers wanting to look around. While working to secure a “Wayside Stand” permit from the county that would allow me to sell plants from my property I was told that I needed to add a parking lot so now there is space for 4 visitors to park up near the greenhouse entrance.
This picture of the expansion project was taken June 14th 2004 during the last stage of the expansion when the old greenhouse skin had been pulled off and just before the new longer skin was pulled over. This happened very quickly on a cloudy windless morning.
And, it took no time at all to fill the new double sized greenhouse to bursting.
By the spring of 2008, the business and the economy were on fire! I was thinking I needed a bigger parking lot. We were doing extremely well and were looking forward to a VERY good year, profit-wise. Even with the 600 gallon a month $4 a gallon heating oil addiction I had to swallow that previous winter to heat the greenhouse I had plenty of business and I was quite, um…well… busy with it. So all was good.
Did I say the business was on fire? Metaphor or more foreshadowing?