Here's my greenhouse. It was the first thing Rick ever built and it was just for ME. It was designed to match the house, which is the same dark stain. There was only one spot on the property where it could go, so it actually serves more as a transitional home for the plants started in the garage and is my potting shed. Once the trees leaf out, it gets a bit more shade. I love it out there.

NICE! I love all the green open space.

One of his pet names for me is Doll, there is a wooden sign inside, straight ahead with a yellow sunflower on it and it says "Doll's House" (maybe I'll find the pic someday)

The green open space is HIS obsession. He is as fanatical about his green grass as I am about my flowers. I'd get rid of 1/2 of it and plant more flower beds.

Alright, that settles it Barbara--I am coming to visit, even if I have to stay in the B&B next door. What a beautiful space. I would live out there in the summer (maybe I'd allow the dog in, too).

While I love my garden, I need my lawn also. I insist upon a "barefoot lawn". Love to walk through the thick, cool grass in the summer. Our first home we built had a seeded lawn (on top of lots of clay and construction debris, with no irrigation system). I spent 5 years picking out rocks, and assorted garbage, watering like mad, and barely got a lawn to grow. On our next house, I insisted upon a sodded lawn and an irrigation system. I am a happy camper. I can walk through my nice green lawn to visit all of my garden beds, and head back to my swing (which is my favorite spot in the summer).

Molly D-I love your space also. I am in awe that you had 500 1-gal sized plants in there. What types of things were you growing? Do you sell plants?

And yes, our neighborhood association is that fussy. One of our first years here, we got a certified letter indicating that we were not caring for our lawn properly. It was springtime, rainy and hard to find a chance to mow. We called to ask what the issue was and were told our lawn was too long. When we asked what criteria they used to determine that, we were told "it was longer than our neighbors". Huh????? So we're all supposed to mow on the same day?????

nice score with the shelves!!!!.. Barb that greenhouse is beautiful!!!

Hi Linda,

I use to sell plants but I don't anymore. Mostly daylily seedlings were in the Gh but also some hosta seedlings and one time jack-in-the-pulpit seedlings.
Wish I had found shelving that looked that nice and was that cheap!

MollyD

Joanne - tomatoes in the GH in summer - DH thinks I should be able to grow tomatoes in my GH in summer. I haven't tried it yet. Aside from remembering to water the plants, did you run into any problems with aphids or spider mites? I don't use mine as much in summer as you probably do.
Molly - DD lives on the Santa Fe side of Columbia. She's looking to get her first chicks this year and has stockpiled reclaimed windows to build her GH, hopefully this year. She's also dreamed of having goats but I'm not sure that her DH will go along for that ride. :)
Mom - Too bad about the restrictions in your subdivision. Bet you would have had a GH a long time ago.
Barbara - What a cute GH! Fits in great with the area.

Hi, there was an excellent discussion here that was moved to the wintersowing forum. http://cubits.org/Germination/...

I'm presently trying to decide if I can fit a cold frame somewhere into my yard where it will not be too offensive. I found one at a really great price, and have been wanting to try one. We got up to 41 degrees today YIPPEE--spring is coming! Anyone have any experience using cold frames?

I have a taller cold frame that I use mainly for protecting potted plants in the winter. This year, I have a big pot with a passion flower vine (cut way back) and a big pot with a Hosta/hak grass combo. Crammed in everywhere were potted cuttings that I had started last summer. I did start bringing them in the garage and then into the GH to start warming up since they're going to TN at the end of the month. DD is experimenting this winter with her first one and she's actually growing stuff in her's - lettuces and other leafy things. If the temps get below freezing at night, she heats up some bricks in the oven (which is on almost every day for bread-baking) and puts them in the cold frame. Nothing's frozen in it yet but then she's in TN.

Great thread! Luv everyone's picture and stories. Joanna luv your little cutie! What type of dog is he or she?

Hi Donna.

That is Todd, the Pomeranian. Here's a thread on some little garden helpers. http://cubits.org/Germination/...

Really enjoyed the GH tours. Each one different and interesting.
Joanne, I think I remember seeing pics of your swingset GH a few years ago. If not yours then one like that. Love how you have progressed.
Molly, Cattle panel GH are very functional and easy to put up. I thought yours looked very nice.
Barbara, Your GH is just beautiful. Love, love, love it.
Ric and I will have ours up in a few weeks, It is a Harbor Freight 10 X 12 aluminum and poly. Ric has been working on it the foundation is in and we are waiting for the concrete floor to cure before we start putting it up. We want to stain the floor and there is a 30 day cure period before you can stain it. I will post pictures when we have it under-roof.

I have to agree! Barb, I love your greenhouse! And of course, JoAnna's is always just awesome! I so wish I had the talent for growing things that so many of you have!

If any of you are interested, we are trying to get enough support for Dave and Trish to start a group for us northern zone gardeners! Please come over and show your support! We need to let them know that there are many of us, and it would be nice if we could have our own forum where we can talk serious gardening with other people that have to deal with our short growing seasons and unique conditions!
Here's a link
The thread "Question on Regional Forums" in Site Talk forum

Please come over! And invite any one you can think of too that might be interested! They have no problem doing this for us, as long as there is enough interest!

All of your greenhouses are wonderful!
This is the time of year where I start to think...hmmmmmm!
And you have certainly given me alot to think about! Thanks!

It has been quite awhile since I posted here and our GH is up. The interior parts aren't in. We will need fans, heater, benches and such but the structure is pretty much finished.
So I thought I would start at the beginning.
We decided to put the GH in the Veggie Garden area at the side of the house. Last spring we marked it off and Ric started digging for the foundation.

We wanted to put in an arbor and walkway to the GH. In this pic you can see the stone filled foundation with the water hydrant installed and the brick floor of the arbor

Over the stone bed we laid 4 inch thick Styrofoam insulation around the edges with a open center. You can also see the start of the walkway starting at the other end.

Having problems with the computer so I hope to get these GH pics posted.

So here are a few more arbor pics. It sure makes a nice entrance to the veggie garden and GH area.

The floor of the GH is poured stained concrete. It was poured over the insulation and darkened to make it a more efficient for solar gain. The brick center will let the water drain off the floor and give us access to the water hydrant if we need to repair it. There is also a buried conduit for electrical wires that comes up thru the concrete in the corner.

Here is a nice pic of the walkway

Here is the framing. Ric made a few modifications to make it a bit stronger for our weather. Added some extra metal supports for snow. Screws, caulking and modifications to anchor it to the foundation for wind.

Later on there will be wide benches all around with a higher narrower shelf and some of the metal supports will hold hanging baskets.

I think I should be able to pack a lot of plants into this small GH.

looks great Holly