For the gardener who would like to pursue the hobby year round, a backyard greenhouse could be a great source of enjoyment. Even if the idea is to only get a jump on spring planting a backyard greenhouse would be well worth the effort. The following points may be helpful planning a Greenhouse project.
Decide what kind of structure will meet your needs: portable or permanent. A primary determiner of the type structure you need is your climate. The more severe the weather conditions the sturdier the greenhouse needs to be. Next, think about if you need a foundation and if so, what will it be made of. A portable greenhouse probably won’t require a foundation, but a permanent structure most likely will. Whichever structure style you choose should be easy to construct and use materials that are easily available.
A wide variety of materials can be used for Greenhouse construction. Which ones you use will depend on whether you want to have materials that are relatively inexpensive or if the style and appearance of the greenhouse is more important to you than the expense.
If you decide to use wood, select from redwood, cypress or cedar. If none of these are available the wood you use, unless pressure treated, would need to be painted to prevent possible contamination to the soil, contact damage to plants and for durability.
There is no limit to the types of plants that will grow in a greenhouse-all will. The conditions just have to be the same as those in the native environment. These conditions can be made through the use of heating and lighting systems. A back-up power system will be necessary if these systems are used. Garden.com Greenhouses
Location of a greenhouse is very important. It needs to have utilities available, good drainage and good sun exposure.
The greenhouse doesn’t have to be large in order for you to enjoy it. Be creative in ways to maximize the space.