One of the staff at my day program said to me as much as you love tropical plants you should see if there is such a thing as a rent your own greenhouse program.

does such a program exist? I live in MN zone 4..... twin cities metro area

I think that is an interesting concept, PML, but I can't help you down here in MS.

Since ebay has the extended payment. no interest plan - can't remember the name - maybe you could purchase a GH on ebay and use that. It would sort of be like rent to own!

I doubt I make enough to own/rent much of anything though. A big check for me is a little over $200

Do you have space or the layout for a lean-to, self-made greenhouse? I built the one in the garage (dormant Plumeria) for perhaps $150. You could even build the frame first and cover it with solar blanket material weeks or even months later.

Btw that 30 foot cage I use in Summer to house my Orchids came originally from Wirecrafters in Louisville/Kentucky. It could be simply covered and used as a greenhouse.
They sells panels any size you need.
http://www.wirecrafters.com

the problems with those ideas is I dont own the house i live at/ its a group home run by the state,

kim said i cannot have a greeenhouse so i would have to rent one outside of my home.

OK, so much for my idea. I am now out of ideas. I wish I could be more helpful. If you contact your MN Extension Service or your county Extension Service, perhaps they'll have some ideas to help you.

Okay i did contact the MNLA, MN ,landscape and nurshery biz. maybe they know of something. but yeah a local county extention might be my best bet,

sense i'm not trying to grow food in a greenhouse it might just be a waste of time. What I want would have be heated in winter/ bat plants among others and i would just pay to rent the area year round. our household is just too dry in winter for bat plants

I just wanted to know if such a program existed for plant nuts like me.

Good luck. It would be a crying shame to want so much to grow tropical plants and have absolutely no way to do it.

I mean I do grow them in my room I have 17 of them so its not like I'm short on plants.. but to take it to another level might take some planning- answer mom and dad, in zone 3 bamidji. maybe they would be alright with building a greenhouse on their property if i help with the heating bills in winter. wouldn't hurt to ask.

Hey, that's an excellent idea. They may just go for that.

Plants, check with the local growers in your area that have large greenhouses and see if they have a program for "plant sitting " . I know I've seen ads for it before just can't remember where right now. Or even a private grower with a greenhouse may be able to overwinter for you. You might even be able to volunteer some time working to pay for it.

Also possibly the Universities or even smaller community colleges that have horticultural programs. They may be able to help you out with rental space.

I will work on that idea, summer is coming so soon I wont be pent up in the house with no plants outside so to speak.

PML, not to be a wet blanket -- but unless you expect to generate considerable income from the plants in the GH I think you are likely to find the cost of heating one prohibitive.

Could you set up some shelves with fluorescent lights to grow the plants?

Here in Memphis, there are rental plots available in Shelby Farms. They don't include greenhouses, but they are small plots of land where people plant everything from strawberries to sunflowers, to corn.

Cool my day program MSS is going to do some garden work this summer they want me to be a part of so that's great.

Weedwhacker said:PML, not to be a wet blanket -- but unless you expect to generate considerable income from the plants in the GH I think you are likely to find the cost of heating one prohibitive.

Could you set up some shelves with fluorescent lights to grow the plants?

Spot on. It is expensive to heat my greenhouse in March let alone through the winter. I have a little one I keep warm all winter long that is 12x16 attached to my house. It is primarily for starting seeds and I have plants/seeds in there starting in November and I am in zone 5. I couldn't afford to have a greenhouse if I didn't sell plants from it. the supplemental gas bill alone in March was 190.00, I also have a wood burning furnace that we fire up every night. most of that is night time heating (really, early morning, as I don't go keep the fire going) , very seldom during the day does the furnace run.

Some greenhouses rent space for the winter since they have to keep it warm already.

The other thought is led lights for your plants inside. They are coming out with some new plant fixtures that work well. My neighbor has an experimental led light/fixture her daughter in law is trying to start a home based business with so she is trialling it for her, set up in her basement and her plants were beautiful. even her african violets which never bloom for her set bud for her under those lights.

Sorry i haven't been here in awhile.

Me and the staff at my house are building a new table to house all these plants this summer and some will become floor plants- right now most are going outside whenever its safe for them to do so.


I'm experimenting with just having plants that go dormant to sleep in winter well it don't solve all my problems. I still have a lot that does need care it helps lesson the load i'll have come winter. carnivores are out because we don't get a lot of bugs and they need distilled water but.....

Voodoo lilies don't need that much care in winter. my boss has said I could house them in the basement at her flower shop. I have 2 types one on the way one in my pocesson, A Konjac and a bulbifer. i think a greenhouse just isn't realistic but I have found a way for it to work so long as I don't get too much more.