It was way past time. My greenhouse was a mess-overrun with overgrown summer beds, empty pots scattered everywhere, and my work table laden with long-forgotten mosaic projects. 

I started this clean-up a few weeks ago, and finally feel like the greenhouse is just about ready for winter. The nights are getting colder now, and it’s time for the final summer-to-winter transition. The sun shade was taken off today.

There are still a few things left to take care of: A most unfortunate burn hole in the wall of the greenhouse needs to be patched. The fan needs to be taken down. And my little greenhouse-within-a-greenhouse needs to be set up. 

My main reason for the cleaning frenzy has nothing to do with gardening, though. I am working on our 3rd annual Thanksgiving in the Greenhouse, and everything has to be spotless.

Our 1st annual TITGH was borne out of necessity. We basically had nowhere to seat our entire family for a large meal, so to the greenhouse we went! It was so much fun, we did it again last year. I think once our house is done I would like to continue the tradition.

Our temporary digs do not afford us a kitchen large enough to cook an entire Thanksgiving dinner in the normal way. Preparing such a feast is nothing short of a logistical nightmare, requiring some creative solutions. The turkey goes into the roaster on the kitchen counter. The camper kitchenette and table are scrubbed and organized and is veggie- and stuffing-prep central. 

Stuffing is cooked  in the turkey with a second batch going into a slow cooker. Cranberry sauce is homemade, with whole fresh cranberries.

Aside from running back and forth between two kitchens, the actual cooking of the meal is not bad, as long as the weather is good. The real challenge is in the serving. Crock pots full of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and stuffing are taken out to the greenhouse and plugged in to keep warm while the rest of the meal is finished. The turkey is removed from the roaster, gravy is made from the juices, and the turkey is then placed back into the roaster and run to the greenhouse while the dinner rolls and last minute items are getting finished up. 

Last year I decorated by hanging up sheets and curtains to make a cozy “room” with a bunch of LED Christmas lights. I just went thrifting and got a bunch more linens this week. Soon it will be time to start hanging the lights and linens. I can’t wait.

We have a big old Rubbermaid table that accommodates all seven of us. We will probably use Crystallyx containers for seats for some of us. A $5.00 auction purchase, a big glass display case, will be covered and pressed into service as a buffet. It is going to be rugged, but our Thanksgiving dinners in the greenhouse have become a beloved tradition for our family. I plan to take a lot of pictures of the process this time, and share them here.