Greenhouse Dreams
Eight years ago, we decided to build a garden shed to store all our tools. I envisioned a greenhouse connected to the shed and I convinced my husband to pour a concrete pad long enough to fit a 14' x 17' greenhouse. We visited Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas and I fell in love with the greenhouse at the venue. My husband assured me we could make one similar. We decided to make it from our own vision and not use a kit and that is why, eight years later, I am writing this blog.
Over the years chipped away at building. I was afraid we didn’t make it big enough (I felt compelled to have a front porch) so we added another 7 feet and we added a drainage grate to wash away any messes. The greenhouse will be in commission (actually growing plants) later this winter. Granted, the interior won’t be finished but it will be weathered in with heat, water, and electricity.
Greenhouse Materials: We used cinderblocks as the base. I chose cinderblocks with a beautiful stone face. The blocks are reinforced with rebar as well as mortar that fills the empty spaces within. The roof is 16mm, 5-wall polycarbonate. The side windows are tempered glass. The windows in the front of the greenhouse are glass casement and are the only windows that open. While I wanted louvered ceiling vents, we couldn’t make it work.
For the interior we found a wash station from Facebook marketplace and it works perfectly for washing, sanitizing, and rinsing supplies. Connecting the water lines was easy (for my husband, not me), but creating hot water required the purchase of a tankless propane water heater. The greenhouse will be heated in the winter with a Reznor propane heater.
After the windows were installed I sat in a cozy corner and couldn’t believe what we made. We have so much work to do (electrical, fans, lights, counters…) but we have made my dream come to life and I couldn’t be happier.
For those of you dreaming about your greenhouse, whether you purchase a kit (no judgement, you will save a fortune) or plan on building your own greenhouse from scratch, be sure to consider the following:
Air (flow, temperature, humidity)
Water
Electricity
For those of you who are not in a place to build or install your own greenhouse, Amazon has incredible options in the $100 range. I spent 6 years growing in these greenhouses in my garage. Please don’t limit your dreams.
With gratitude,
Jessa
