Do you have a Greenhouse? Do you heat the greenhouse most of year? What kind of shelving and heat source do you use?
Yep. I have a large tropical atrium Many of the plants are planted in the ground but the really rare species are in large pots. We have to heat from early November through mid April but the rest of the year is fine. We are in Zone 6B (NW Arkansas). My atrium is constructed with a Lexan double walled ThermoClear skin that is 1/4 inch thick. You can read most of the details about how we built and maintain it on my website. http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Build your own tropical rainforest.html In Michigan I would suggest a thicker material to cut down on heating costs. My atrium is 600 square feet and it costs around $100 per month to maintain a temperature of 55 degrees minimum. The skin will produce heat during the day but not at night. Most tropical plants simply won't tolerate temperatures much below 55 degrees and many will go dormant. I would not be able to grow plants in the ground in much colder climates since they would not adjust to the lower ground temperature.
Your posting was very interesting, My wife and I plan to add a sunroom to the south side of the house, A couple that lives just south of us did it. And it really looks great. At this time I have a small greenhouse and I would like to learn more on shelving and heating and what members use.
