PLAN IT NOW
PLANT IN IT NEXT SPRING
During World War Two, 20 million Americans planted victory gardens to free up produce and the means to transport it for the war effort. In their own back yards, they produced up to 40 percent of the vegetables America ate.
We can do them one better. We can build greenhouses to cut down on greenhouse gases.
Winter is the perfect time to check out these sites for the nuts and bolts you need to make your own greenhouse dreams come true.
...Our greenhouse. We'll start growing good things this spring!
Whole Tree Straw Bale Winterproof Greenhouse Design
I’ve got to start with a link to a project summary by Roald Gundersen of Whole Trees Architecture. Roald has several claims to fame. His firm was recently featured in the New York Times. Whole Trees is going to build a whole tree house on our land in 2012. And my daughter works for Whole Trees. She is designing our house. Someday we may have a Whole Tree greenhouse similar, but not as big as the one in this link. Doug and I designed our first greenhouse as part of our timber frame barn before we had met Roald. Anyone thinking about building a greenhouse should consider the whole tree approach. There is nothing greener.
This is a very quick and dirty (and I mean that in a good way) set of very clear instruction about how to toss up a greenhouse and get growing from Las Pilitas Nursery, a native garden center in California. This looks a great way to get growing.
This is another photo documentation of building a green house fast fast fast!
There really is no reason to put off building a greenhouse next spring.
Leave it to Mother Earth News to find a greenhouse built out of used windows and storm doors. I see so many doors and windows flying by in Craig’s List, and if you have a ReStore in your town – you are in business. Reuse is much more green than recycling, and creates a unique structure, often a beautiful as well as practical one.
Comprehensive Guide to your Conservatory
And while we are turning to Mother, here is another great article of theirs on building an add-on greenhouse. It’s a snap, says Mother, to build your own attractive conservatory from low-cost new and salvaged materials. This article is very comprehensive. A good place to begin your research.
Variation 2 on the Used Doors Theme
Greenhouses made of reused doors and windows can be a lot more funky than the example above. Check out this one. This is what I mean about really unique and beautiful.
Get Grounded in Greennhouse Building
A compendium of greenhouse building info from West Virginaia Unviersity Extension Service.
This covers just about everything. It’s good background, but you will need to read further before you get out your tools and begin.
Hobby Greenhouse Picture Gallery
The Hobby Greenhouse Association is a nation-wide non-profit group of about a thousand gardeners who share ideas. It looks like there is a lot to learn here, and they have a great little gallery of photos showing many inspiring variations on the theme.
If greenhouses work in Alberta Canada – they will work anywhere. This link lays it all out how an Alberta gardener made a 12’ x 32’ hoop-style greenhouse for under $400. Nice clear photo illustrations.
Here is a link to building a site where a greenhouse structure is used for many agricultural purposes. It’s got a good solid foundation, and looks like it could easily be sized down for home use.
Categories: BLOG Roundups, SUSTAINABLE FOOD
Digging in the Driftless 
It is really helpful information about greenhouses. I live in a village and greenhouses are very important for us,
there is also a very useful guide that i got great informatin about greenhouses:
http://agricultureguide.org/
Wow, thank you! The agricultural guide that you shared really is a compendium of very useful information. I’m going to peruse it slowly to make sure I don’t miss any. If I do another greehouse blog roundup, I’ll be sure to include this one.
Doug and I will start using our greenhouse for the first time in a few months, and I can hardly wait.
Where is your village? I’d love to learn more about how you use your greenhouses there.
Even though small towns have been economically eviscerated by our bigger is better economy, I still think that in many ways villages are the perfect blend of what is best about both city and country.
Denise