Friday
Mar232012
DIY Greenhouse
Friday, March 23, 2012
Are you a gardener? It is hard to believe that we're well into the gardening plans already during the month of March, but the weather has been quite unbelievable this year.
After several years of membership in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), we decided to try growing our own vegetables last year. Despite not having a lot of sun, we ended up with a decent harvest and learned a lot about gardening. It is a great way for everyone in our family to be more connected to our food, to know exactly what we are eating, and to cut down on the environmental impact of food transportation, storage and packaging.
This year, to help jump start our garden, we decided to add a small greenhouse. Using a combination of recycled materials and some new materials, we added a greenhouse onto the side of our garden shed.
We have a bunch of interesting seeds from Cubits and a few other local seed sources. We're going to start some of the seeds in the greenhouse this weekend. We're going to be growing lots of tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, basil, garlic, a variety of different greens, broccoli, and more.
We have our main garden plot that we built last year, plus I'm going to be using some dead birch trees that we had to cut down to make borders for a couple of additional raised beds on our property. Like last year, I'll probably also do a few pots around the property with herbs, ground cherries and greens in them too.
What are your plans for your garden this year?
After several years of membership in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), we decided to try growing our own vegetables last year. Despite not having a lot of sun, we ended up with a decent harvest and learned a lot about gardening. It is a great way for everyone in our family to be more connected to our food, to know exactly what we are eating, and to cut down on the environmental impact of food transportation, storage and packaging.
This year, to help jump start our garden, we decided to add a small greenhouse. Using a combination of recycled materials and some new materials, we added a greenhouse onto the side of our garden shed.
We have a bunch of interesting seeds from Cubits and a few other local seed sources. We're going to start some of the seeds in the greenhouse this weekend. We're going to be growing lots of tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, basil, garlic, a variety of different greens, broccoli, and more.
We have our main garden plot that we built last year, plus I'm going to be using some dead birch trees that we had to cut down to make borders for a couple of additional raised beds on our property. Like last year, I'll probably also do a few pots around the property with herbs, ground cherries and greens in them too.
What are your plans for your garden this year?
Reader Comments (9)
Exciting! We're planning to start seedlings this weekend too; though no greenhouse here!
Most of ours are tried and true; tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and peas. But I've never tried the tomatoes from seeds before!
I'm also pretty excited about my flower plans. We are going to try a rainbow effect. Hopefully it works at least a little!
And also hopefully I can figure out how to save my tulips, daffodils, currants and rhubarb, because I suspect none of it is going to enjoy the subzero temps forecast!
We started our seedlings some weeks ago now. We don't have a garden, let alone a greenhouse, but we have a concrete patio with fencing.
The seeds that we started over the last few weeks:
- Columbines
- Snapdragons
- Sunflowers
- Basil
- Parsley
- Coriander
- Chives
- Oregano
- Carrots
- Cucumber (in hanging baskets!)
- Peas
- Sweet bell peppers (miniature variety)
I think that's it. Every year my grandma gives me some tomatoes started from seed in her greenhouse, so we will have six of those (three varieties) growing upside down in a Topsy Turvy with a stand we got for $20. Right now our window sills are absolutely covered in seedlings and small plants. Starting a garden and letting my daughter(s) learn how food comes about are big priorities for me, so our small patio will be even more of a jungle this year than it was last year. All of those plants that I listed will be in containers of some kind, so wish us luck! ;-)
WOW!!! That Is just awesome!!!
That's really lovely! I hope you update us on your garden process as it goes.
Each year we've grown a couple of shade-tolerant things in our backyard, on the porch in pots... out of reach of the pesticides that are copiously sprayed around our neighborhood.
Mostly, the only thing that is sucessful so far, has been patio tomatos & we do get a few strawberries as well.
My dream is to have a YARD with a GARDEN one day. And hens! :)
I can't believe you guys built that all by yourselves! We got seeds to try tomatoes (tiny ones we will grow in a container), bell peppers, carrots, radishes, and peas, plus planted a bunch of seeds from a "shade mix" behind the sandbox-it has giant flower bushes on each side so with flowers on the third side, it will be like a little fort I hope. This is our first year in this house though so we aren't really sure what will do well with our mix of rain, sun, shade, and dirt. I guess we'll find out!
I love your greenhouse! You'll totally be able to lengthen your growing season now.
If we ever have a yard of our own, I'm going all-out gardener on it. :) Till then, I'm enjoying having a friend's yard to play in. I bought replacement gloves today, and I've got to get over there soon to weed (weed weed weed) and compost. I'm looking forward to seeing what interesting and tempting things our local nursery has this year! We'll definitely try for tomatoes again and hope for a sunnier summer, and I love snap pea season.
We only found out a few weeks ago (after our first baby arrived) that we're going to get a garden again this year (the community garden project was a pilot), so we're still debating what's going in. We're definitely putting in heritage beans again. And the garlic that's still in there from last year. We now know where the shade is, so that end will likely have spinach and lettuce for a while. We're thinking sunflowers, beets and carrots again, because those were good, but we have yet to do up a plan for what gets planted where.
Wow! That looks great. I have plans to build one myself with old windows and such. Do you mind if you snag your picture and use it to work from? I love how you attached it to your garden shed, supplies kept close means less time working and more time enjoying the fruits (or veggies) of your labour.
[...] July 5, 2012 · 0 comments Remember back in March I shared some pictures of our new DIY greenhouse? Well, it has been getting lots of use and has been a huge success. Over the next few posts, [...]