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I believe I promised an update to my winter storage facilities. Pictured first is a structure I fondly refer to as my bonsai cabinet. I have used this, as you see here, for a few years but decided I need to expand a bit.

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After taking some measurements and making a plan, I extended the shelving and updated the existing shelves to make everything look uniform.

Rather than plastic sheeting, I decided to enclose the shelves with clear, corrugated, polycarbonate panels.

I used I used rubber weather stripping and white foam strips designed to be used with these corrugated panels at the top and bottom of each to close the gaps wherever I could.

I built the front as a rather large hinged door that I can open to access the plants for watering or other needs.

When the weather is mild, I can just leave it open, and close it up when it is going to get cold.

The goal is to protect the plants from winter winds and keep the interior of the cabinet just a few degrees warmer than the outside temps when it gets particularly cold. Here in Northern Virginia, the thin layer of protection provided by the polycarbonate panels and some ambient heat from the house is all that will be necessary most of the winter. On some recent cold nights, the temperature inside the cabinet was nearly 10 degrees warmer than outside with is a significant benefit. On occasions when we expect extremely cold temperatures, I have the option of opening the window a bit to allow the heated air from the house to warm the enclosed space.

Situated under the deck, as it is, this structure doesn’t get a lot of light, so I use it primarily for deciduous trees. It has worked well for me in recent years, and I am excited to have more space than before.