Building a small Green House

[asphalt]

Where could someone find some tips to building a small green house? I have thought about doing it, but am not sure of the benefits would outway the work. Growing up we had some large green houses. I would like something small I could build in a few weekends, any suggestions?

[Chris]

An actual greenhouse or just like a cold frame?

[asphalt]

Not really sure what the difference would be, but I am probably looking for a cold frame, I don't want to use too much space. Just a place that would help extend growing seasons I guess. We have long winters here in wyoming. This is my first year doing any gardening ;)

[Chris]

A cold frame is not heated and is really just a glass enclosure too small for you to walk into.

They are often built right against the side of a house, for upright ones, but you can also simply build boxes in your yard with glass or plastic tops.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-44,GGLD:en&q=how+to+build+a+cold+frame

They are most often used for seed starting or for getting non-hardy plants an earlier start. Not so much for extending things in the Fall since the plants are larger then and cold frames are usually small.

[asphalt]

thanks chris, that is more of what I have been thinking about. Didn't know the term cold frame.

Thanks

[Ziggywigs]

Hi Ashphalt

I found this link t'other day and thought it was very useful.... you could scale the sizes down for cold frames or cloches in fact.

http://www.jcmga.org/small_greenhouse.pdf

or try this one similiar idea

http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Projects/hamiltoncloche/Cloche.htm

Good luck.:)

[stopping]

<spam>....

[Rose White]

Some cold-loving plants include tiger lily, bleeding heart, peony, hosta, cinnamon fern, heather, blue sage, sphagnum moss, bee balm, Canadian phlox, bugleweed, cerastium, myosotis, saxifraga, silene, coral bells, northern sea oats, bee balm, wild ginger, lupine, clematis Ville de Lyon, winterberry and Canadian buffalo berries.

Also try annuals such as sunflowers, impatiens, basil, morning glory, cosmos, zinnia, sweet peas and gerbera in your cold climate garden. Bulbs which grow well in cold climates include snowdrops, crocus, daffodil, trumpet lily, begonia, zebra iris, gladiolas, Rembrandt dahlia, Merry Christmas tulip, acidanthera, anemone and caladium fanny munson.

Cold-climate fruit trees include apple, peach and pawpaw (a fruit native to America that tastes much like a banana).

Large, more delicate plants can be placed in pots with wheels to easily move them to sheltered areas when it is cold or the weather is inclement. The sun’s heat is absorbed into brick and stone walls and at night the walls send heat to flowerpots stored next to them. Also, window boxes receive heat leaking through the windows and this protects plants.


Rose White, author of
Easy Gardens A to Z
:)