Garden Photo of the Day

Dede’s Sunroom Garden

Gardening indoors for the winter

By GPOD Contributor
sun shining into sunroom full of plants

Today we’re in Brewster, New York, visiting Dede Lifgren’s beautiful sunroom. We’ve visited Dede’s outdoor garden before (An Artist’s Garden), but here is what is happening inside.

Several years ago we enclosed part of our porch to make a sunroom. We overwinter our favorite tropical and tender perennials there and now get to enjoy them all winter long!

aquarium with fish and ferns growing aboveEven the goldfish come inside to keep warm for the winter. The large aquarium helps to add moisture to the room.

a large succulent and fern growing next to each other in the sunroomBoth succulents (Euphorbia trigona, Zones 10–12) and fern (Nephrolepis exaltata, Zones 10–12) share sunroom space side by side.

sun shining into sunroom full of plantsLots of green and sun are especially welcomed after a few months of winter!

potted plants in front of floor to ceiling windowsWarm sunshine is streaming in from the cold outdoors.

close up of large jade plant growing in a blue potThis is our giant, HEAVY jade plant (Crassula ovata, Zones 10–12). It’s a favorite because of its size—though sometimes we wish it didn’t grow quite so well!

close up of bright green asparagus fernAsparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus, Zones 9–12)

close up of tropical foliage plants in sunroomA giant leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum, Zones 7–10), a tree philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum, Zones 10–12), and some artwork share a corner.

potted plant growing up a large stakeI pinned this begonia up on a moss stake to save space. Even though temperatures are kept cool in the sunroom, it seems content.

sunroom with dog checking out indoor aquariumOur dogs enjoy the sunroom’s sunny location and the water that’s always available in the aquarium! The goldfish don’t seem to mind.

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.
Buy at Amazon

Sun Joe Cordless Telescoping Pole Chain Saw

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

BAR + CHAIN: 8 in. auto-lubricating bar + chain with 2.7 fl oz oil tank capacity and oil level window. TELESCOPIC: Telescoping pole extends from 3.7 ft to 7.2 ft, providing up to 14 ft of overhead reach. ADJUSTABLE HEAD: Multi-angle head adjusts from 0º to 30º 24-VOLT SYSTEM: 24V 2.0 Ah IONMAX lithium-ion battery allows for up to 32 cuts of 4" x 4" pine on a single charge.
Buy at Amazon

Gardener's Log Book from NYBG

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features: · Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil · Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds · Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when · Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening · Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting · Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.
Buy at Amazon
X
View Comments

Comments

  1. nwphilagardener 03/01/2023

    Spectacular photo set with really happy plants. I am delighted that the dogs have not lapped up any fish. BTW, although common names vary, I think many people call the plant you called 'Asparagus Fern' as "Foxtail Fern'.

  2. User avater
    simplesue 03/01/2023

    I LOVE the way you live! I went back to remember your outside garden (LOVE it!) and to see your fabulous sun room now wow!
    The photo with your dog really gives the full view and also love the close up photos!
    I'm saving some of your photos to my Pinterest for inspiration!

    1. Dede 03/01/2023

      Wow how nice!

  3. sheila_schultz 03/01/2023

    My goodness, that is one huge, happy jade plant. It must be a physical challenge to move it without breaking the fragile branches! The porch addition makes perfect sense for a greenhouse, much better than what I had to do when we lived in Denver. We had to haul a multitude of plants inside to 2 upstairs bedrooms filled with grow lights to overwinter. What we wouldn't have given for a porch greenhouse! Enjoy your cozy, winter jungle. It is perfect.

    1. Dede 03/01/2023

      Thanks. You're so right about the challenges of overwintering big plants. That jade is so big and heavy each year I swear it will be the last time it makes the trip. I say the same thing about my banana!

  4. nicki_s 03/01/2023

    What a fabulous space! It must be heavenly to sit there in winter and be surrounded by plants. Like others who have commented, I'm always looking for places in my house to overwinter a few plants. This year my sister-in-law is fostering a few ferns for me in her sunroom.

  5. btucker9675 03/01/2023

    What a wonderful space you've created and I love that the fish get to have a bit of a warm holiday inside as well. Everything is amazingly beautiful.

  6. mjdkitchens 03/01/2023

    Well, now I'm jealous. So beautiful. This article gets saved to my "Dream House" board.

  7. moyra_b 03/01/2023

    That looks like a little bit of heaven!

  8. avajames 03/02/2023

    Thanks for sharing this. save with blog

  9. MohawkValley 03/29/2023

    The best of both worlds . I went back an viewed your outside gardens first . Kudos to you on both efforts and accomplishments ! One can tell the love of life through how one gardens their turf and little piece of this Earth . Once again , kudos to you , Dede ! Peace from the Mohawk Valley --- we're not that far apart .....

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest

How-To
Keep Moth Orchids Happy and They’ll Bloom Year After Year

For many people, picking up a potted moth ­orchid (Phalaenopsis spp. and cvs., Zones 10–12) is like buying cut flowers; they don’t care for the plant once it stops blooming.…
Design
4 Luck® Red Stripes White Variegated Clover Adds a Little Luck to Your Pots

While many gardeners might label white clover as a weed, this fast-filling, variegated selection is cute as a button in containers. With a mix of 3- and 4-palmate leaves, you’ll…
Design
Garden Tour of a Sustainable Native Plant Oasis Bursting with Fall Color

When Jeff Lorenz and Kayla Fell purchased this property in the Philadelphia suburbs, they knew they had their work cut out for them. A front and back yard of mostly…

Video

View All Videos
Design

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping—not because you’re likely to trip on something, but because you might be dive-bombed by a pair…
Design

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder's Garden
Design

Garden Tour of a Sustainable Native Plant Oasis Bursting with Fall Color
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 170: High-Impact Native Plants with Uli Lorimer  
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 169: Great Foundation Plants