🪴 The Dead Zone 🧟‍♂️

From humble beginnings to what you see today, I honestly couldn’t be prouder of how my Happy Place has grown over the last year.

The Dead Zone started off as the most basic of structures — a roof and nothing more. Just enough to protect my precious babies from the heavy rain and hail that the KZN Midlands is famous for. Four poles, clear roofing, and that was it.

In the centre sat four builder’s bricks, a varnished sheet of plywood, and my entire collection below, nestled in a black geyser tray filled with water. That tiny setup? That was the beginning of this whole obsession 😉

🌩️ The Storm That Changed Everything

Then came that fateful night. A monster of a storm rolled in — gale force winds, thousands of tiny hailstones, and absolute chaos. The hail itself wasn’t large, but the wind was so fierce it blew the stones horizontally. They scraped plaster off walls, chipped wooden fence poles, and worst of all… they blew straight under the roof of the Dead Zone. It was like a brush cutter had been taken to my prized collection.

Pitcher plants shredded. Venus Flytraps sliced. There was nothing I could do except sit and wait it out.

The next morning was absolutely heartbreaking.😢

But it also lit a fire. I realised that if I was going to do this, I needed to do it PROPERLY. And so began the upgrades… one step at a time.

🔨 Phase One: Bigger Is Better

The first decision was easy: DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE GREENHOUSE STRUCTURE. (Yes, convincing myself was very quick 😄)

Next came hail cloth around the edges to protect the plants and act as a windbreaker. By this point my trumpet pitchers were pushing 45cm tall, and I really didn’t want them toppling over or snapping in the wind.

At the time, the “tables” were nothing more than wooden boards balanced on builder’s bricks, with plastic geyser trays holding the water. It worked… but let’s be honest — it looked a bit tacky. And as the collection grew, those tables became increasingly unstable 😅

🪚 Phase Two: Tables, Problems, and Thinking Faces

Enter James, the man who helped turn my vision into reality and replaced the makeshift tables with proper, permanent structures. Problem solved?
Not quite.

The geyser trays had raised drainage outlets underneath, which meant they wouldn’t sit flat on the new tables. Mnnnnnn… Time to engage THINK MODE… 🤔

💧 Phase Three: The Trough Trauma

Since the trays were out, I decided to rethink the whole watering system. And that’s when the idea struck:
Why not turn the table tops into permanent water troughs?

And so we did.

The table tops were sealed, small cobblestones added, drainage holes installed at the opposite ends for easy cleaning, and taps fitted at the front so I could fill the trays directly — no more lugging watering cans back and forth. Absolute game changer 😄

😊 And Then The Next Expansion Began.🔨

Because, of course, the greenhouse needed expanding. I mean, I know I said the last one was the last time, but where was I going to put all the Nepenthes and Air Plants Now??? 😊

🐔 The Chicken Coop Takeover

When I finally ran out of room to expand outward, I did what any reasonable plant addict would do – I broke into the old chicken house and turned it into my very own potting shed 😊.

Now I had space for pots, sand, tools, and a dedicated area to work, instead of trying to squeeze in on a corner of a table. It also freed up space under the countertops to let me add beautiful little Garden Beds, adding colour and beauty to an already beautiful place 😄. The walls were painted a bright, brilliant green colour for that wow-this-is-funky feel, and the floor was paved so I no longer had to walk in sand all day. Luxury! Pure Luxury 😎🥂😏✨

🌬️ The Final Touches… For Now

The last upgrades (for now 😄) were the installation of fans and lights. The fans help keep temperatures manageable during hot days, and the lights mean I can still be in there after dark, packing orders, working on plants, or just standing quietly admiring my babies.

Because yes… this is my greenhouse. But it’s also my church. AND ITS DEFINATELY MY HAPPY PLACE 😄💚🌱

Putting this blog together and looking back at where it all started has once again cemented just how deep my passion for this hobby runs. 😏 I love this place. I cannot get enough of the joy it brings me each and EVERY single time I walk in there. Thank you for reading this blog and sharing some of my life and passion for this hobby. NOW….

Grab Some Popcorn and an Ice Cold Beer. Click on the video link below and enjoy a personal virtual tour of my Happy Place, My Church, THE DEAD ZONE!