DIY greenhouse; 11 months in the making.

It really is a load off my shoulders and mind. All the design deliberations, cost considerations, material requisitions, and top-of-ladder installations…done. Done, done, DONE! Well, there’s still caulking, painting, and power to run, but that’s pretty mindless…

…point is, no more big decisions!

Geoff Lawton, of Permaculture Research Institute, says a design is made more elegant with the addition of restrictions. For example, we had a pile of windows the last owners left, all of varying sizes. These guided the size and shape of the structure. The few oversized windows lent to a height that is taller than necessary, but leaves you with a feeling of being outdoors. A nice bonus especially when compared to plastic tunnels, or hoop houses, which feel claustrophobic to me.

Light, level ground, and water access were key for choosing the location. Traffic patterns too as it makes sense to put it where we are already going on a regular basis. At first I was worried about it being in the way and originally tucked it into a corner, but now I realize it is best for it to be on the way, instead. Like adjacent to a pig paddock, a road, and near the kitchen garden.

Our frequent massive winds also led me to feel justified in building it like a tank. Another design element is allowing features to serve multiple purposes. The window trim, for instance, was beefy enough to not only hold in the windows, but also add a significant structural element.

Our day jobs were yet another design driver. Since we are gone much of the time, it made sense to invest in some bimetal openers that simply operate on rising and falling temperature. 

So, now we’ve got a transparent roomy room with automatic ventilation and a sliding glass door that works nicer than the one in our house. But, of course, the decisions never cease because now we have to sort out which tomatoes to grow!