Make Your Own Greenhouse The Easy Way
Because your greenhouse is going so serve one primary purpose: to give you a climate-controlled environment suitable for growing the assorted plants of your choosing, it is vitally important that you take your individual needs and available resources into consideration before you begin to make your own greenhouse.
Such factors as the amount of space you need, what you are planning on growing, what type of greenhouse you want, and where you are going to put it are integral, and must be thoroughly worked out before hammer hits nail for the first time. Everything else is secondary. Once you have worked out the details, however, you will be ready to begin your garden greenhouse project.
One of the best ways to get ideas and gain an understanding of greenhouse design, layout, and implementation of such features as automatic watering, ventilation, and heating/cooling systems is to visit a few of your local garden centers and take a look around. Such field trips can give you invaluable insight into the project you are undertaking, and may also give you an opportunity to visit with other experts and maybe a hobby gardener or two. They can also give you an idea as to where you may want to situate your new greenhouse on your own property, in order to provide your plants with the appropriate levels of light year round.
Proper lighting is a critical aspect of a successful greenhouse, and therefore location and position are two factors that are taken into consideration with virtually every commercial greenhouse you will visit or see. Some ways to get the most out of your greenhouse’s location is to utilize any existing trees that you may have on your property to provide adequate shade in the summer and allow for proper sunlight to filter through in the winter. Deciduous tend to be ideal for this, while evergreens may actually be counterproductive and actually block necessary sunlight in the colder months when it is needed the most.
Where your greenhouse is located can also have an impact on the type of greenhouse that you build. For example, if you opt to build a lean-to greenhouse, it will actually share a wall with the exterior of your house. This can save you construction dollars, certainly, but it also comes with a new set of considerations and potential problems. For example, if your home casts a shadow onto your new greenhouse, you could lose invaluable sunlight (yet another reason why scouting the proper location is invaluable). However, many people who opt for lean-to style greenhouse buildings find that the potential benefits (such as proximity to utilities and water-sources, as well as cost-effectiveness) far outweigh the cons.
If you find that a lean-to greenhouse is not for you, your other option with regard to greenhouse construction is a free-standing option. These types of greenhouses tend to be larger, and have the added benefit of allowing light in from all sides (remember, a lean-to is restricted because it shares a wall with your home). Generally, a free-standing greenhouse is going to cost you a little more (depending on materials used), but can add exponential value to your property, and may provide you with just the environment you need to guarantee gardening success.
