Introducing Myself

Hello Everyone!

This post is really about nothing at all. I don't KNOW anything yet so I can't share anything nor can I even ask anything. But I will very soon! I am beyond excited tonight and I'd like to tell you why.

In the past 3 years I have become a gardening fanatic. No, that doesn't really describe me at all. I'm beyond fanatical, beyond passionate.....I think obsessive is about the best I can do. I've dreamed of a GH for the last year, but being an un-handy single female on a limited budget I never thought it could ever happen. But it did! I got an old, used, run-down green house as a Christmas gift from my parents today!!! I have never even seen it so this post can go no further......for now that is.

I wanted to introduce myself because I will be around here alot. I will try very hard to research before running to you all, but I will need help I'm sure. The gift includes "repairs" which my dad will be doing. He is pretty handy, but doesn't know any more about green houses than I do.

Oh you guys I am so jazzed!!!!!!!!!!!!

when you see your new GH
please share it's details !

LaLa_Jane, What are you planning to grow in your greenhouse and what are your favorite plants? Congratulations on your new greenhouse.

Congrats Lala!

MollyD

Thank you! My ultimate dream is to start a small business (mostly flowers), but I'm not going to put the proverbial cart before the horse here. That is just a pipe dream right now, but then again I thought the greenhouse was too!

I live in a very small rural community out in the middle of the Boondocks where there is but one gal peddling flowers in the spring. This fall her husband happened to mention that she had a rather dilapidated 2nd GH that she used for nothing but storage. Of course I gave her the quiz the next time I saw her explaining how much I'd gotten into growing and would she ever consider getting rid of it? I had the impression that she would, but I also had the impression that it was in rather sorry shape. I got terribly busy and didn't have the time to follow up, but figured that at least I'd thrown my name into the hat. Plus I was pretty discouraged with the repairs it needed due to the above mentioned unhandiness and lack of funds. Still I had mentioned it to my family...........

When my folks asked what I wanted for Christmas I jokingly said a greenhouse. I never dreampt! I should imagine dad picked it up for next to nothing. My "gift certificate" said that 2 walls need replacing so that will be the real gift. Good old dad. :-D

Wouldn't it be ironic if Dad gave me a GH he got from Marsha and I was eventually able to use it to give her compitition? That sounds kind of bad, doesn't it? We differ in one big area though. She does not do any actual growing preferring instead to be the middle-man, whereas I long to do the growing and nurturing myself.

Oh my, I did not mean to bend your ear this much. I am just way over the top with excitement and having a hard time containing myself!

Lala if you have a south east corner on your home you might be able to replace the missing walls with your house's walls depending on what's missing. If push comes to shove you can use plastic film to replace those walls till you can afford something better. Just do one layer on the outside and a second one on the inside for better protection.

MollyD

Congrats Lala! I'm excited for you! I am in the same boat.. although I am quite handy and love to build stuff. I just got my GH and it's only a 6x8 Harbor Freight.. but I absolutely love it. The smell in the morning is sooooo cool. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do!

This is when I first got it.. :)

Molly my house has no corners. LOL that didn't come out quite right. I guess I should say it has no available corners. My property is quite miniscule having only a few feet on the front and sides before butting with the street and the neighbors property. The back isn't much larger and I have crammed a deck and a two car garage into what little space there was. Three years ago I managed to buy the lot behind mine, and I did it just so I could have at least one area with a little privacy. Enter the gardening addiction. Once I'd planted my first clump of ornamental grass it was all downhill (uphill?) from there.

The back 40 is the only option for the GH which in intself is going to bring on some challenges. It is quite a distance from the house and I'm afraid it's going to take a bit of work (and expense) getting power and water to the structure. I will not be able to afford year-round heat...........at least not at first........but I definitely need to plan for the future in case there does come a time I can use it through the winter.

ZZ your brugs look so happy in their new home! I am quite envious of your assembling abilities. I just made the comment to my brother that I'm going to have to learn to use power tools as I cannot rely on dad forever to help me with my projects. I think the thought scared him enough that he may just take over as handyman when my father is no longer able to. LOL!

Why ZZ, there is nothing in your greenhouse but Brugs. lol.

Hi, Good luck :-)

Lala, I am soooooooooooo tickled for you! You learn how to use those power tools, girl, cause it is so much fun, and rewarding! DH and I are working on putting up my second green house, and I have a similar dream as you! I agree with using the cheap plastic to get started as I am doing the same. You can get a package at Wal-Mart that has two large rolls for about 5 bucks, and with the two layers it works quite well. GOOD LUCK and ENJOY!!!

Thanks Fourks and Misty :-D

I am absolutely frothing because I've still not layed eyes on the thing. I'm going to see if I can corral Pop today or tomorrow to go check it out and see what his plans are for repairs. I'll take a picture (or 20) to possibly pick the brains of some of you helpful folks. I'll be back!

You betcha Lala! Hope it is warm for you to get it done! It is a whoppin 24º here right now, BRRRRRRRRRRRR.

LOL Ken.. Na Uh.. . I have a maidenhair fern and a sago palm.. LOL Oh now I have a begonia out there too!

Lala.... I'm a single mom, and have been for a long time... I HAD to learn how to do stuff on my own! After the first project, it's like Misty says.. it's soooo rewarding and so fun! The more you do, the more confidence you get.. the more confidence, the more you can do, so it's a wonderful circle that grows!

ZZ is so right on with that, go for it and have fun! Just be careful with those fingers! :)
DH still won't let me use the router or the table saw, though! LOL

LalaJane, Did you get to see the greenhouse yet? What are the dimensions? I would love to know more about it.

I also have a 6X8 Harbor Freight.. I am not even heating it in this cold part of the year.. But, I just LOVE it.

I would love to see a picture.

Kathyjo

KathyJo, what do you have in yours to not be heating it? I left the heat off in mine most of yesterday and it was down to about 40, so I donno that I would trust it here with no heat at all.

I don't have any plants in it when it's this cold.. I did take a few flats of coleus out there to enjoy the sunshine and with the sun and all the vents and doors closed it got up to over 100 degrees.. I probably won't start heating it again until Mid February.

I did make it sound like I had plants in it didn't I?

LOL If I didn't have plants in mine there wouldn't be anywhere to walk or sit in the house! :) We plan to close in the whole back deck as the green house, but have to redo the first one we built come spring. Just gonna finish the other part out for now, then redo it all when it warms up and don't have to worry about where to go with all the plants! LOL

I have several trays of plants setting around in the house where other things should be. My Hubby is very tolerant.

Good thing for the tolerant DH's!

Ooh girls you should see MY house. I have a hallway full of plants, a spare bedroom full, every available window is spoken for (it looks like a dungeon in here with all the greedy plants hogging up the sunlight) and most of the coleus live under the church pew. There is no DH here, but they often cramp the dog's style. LOL!

Hello Kathy! I've not seen you for awhile, I hope you are doing well. I didn't make the trip to visit the GH yet, but if dad is unavailable tomorrow I will drive out by myself. I might not be able to do anything with it yet, but I can't stand not at least SEEING the thing. Dad guesstimated that it is about 8'X10' which should be plenty big for me (right now anyway, LOL.) I don't know what HIS plans are, but I hope to have it usable by spring time. I could not afford to heat it right now anyway so I'm trying to appease myself with that knowledge.

(picture shows a couple of my INdoor greenhouses)

LalaJane,

You and your plants will just love the greenhouse when you get it up.

Maybe we can do another trade in the fall? How are the begonias doing? . .

OK! I just took the tour. It's pretty small and it's pretty beat up, but it's a starting place. I did not have opportunity to speak to the original owner and I basically just took a glance and a few photos. I opened the door a crack, but it was scraping rather perilously against the ground and I didn't want to risk damaging it......even more. LOL.

I know that many of you have wonderful grand greenhouses. You're not going to laugh at my little refugee are you? :-P

Front:

Side:

Thanks for allowing me to share these.

Back:

I think it's going to be absolutely wonderful !

What is the height? How far will you have to move it ? I am wondering if you will have to completely dismantle it to get it home..?

Are the hoops made out of metal? Will you be still be able to use the plastic covering?

what I would give for something like that. Good luck.

and if I lived closer, I would come over and help you move it.

If it is too short for you, you could build a base to set it on ?
I would recomend building a short wall to set it on
I have used cinder blocks but it does not get as cold in my zone 9
what does one use in cold cliamates for an insulated stub wall

You can build a kneewall out of pressure treated lumber and insulate it with rigid foam boards. Set your GH on top of the wall. That will give you more height to work with though you'll have to figure out what to do about the door since it's already there at it's current height.

MollyD

Thank you all for responding! I'm afraid however that I don't have answers for most of your questions. I really need to talk to the gal they bought if from to know exactly what I need to do. Of course dad has already spoken with her, but what he's told me in our brief convos is pretty much greek to me. I thought he told me that 2 of the walls need replacing, but they all look the same to me, LOL. He also said that the "skin" wasn't included in the gift and I would need to replace that myself. I'm guessing that the skin is an outer covering?

I would say that he was about right in the size being aprx 8'X'10', (or perhaps a little smaller) and the hoops are metal. I have no idea how it will be moved from point A to point B, but knowing dad he's already got that part figured out. Now if I could just get him to volunteer the WHEN part maybe I could quit being so antsy. I don't want to be pushy, but what's the plan dad? Huh? Huh? When we gonna do it? Huh? Huh? Huh?

It is tall enough for me to stand Jim, but not with much to spare. Raising it up a few feet would be a huge advantage, but I assume that would result in quite a heat loss? I tell ya kids, I am really a babe in the woods here. I was in no way, shape, or form expecting this surprise so I have done no homework what-so-ever. Every bone you throw me will be appreciated more than you could ever know.

Thanks for the idea Molly. My first instinct was to say, "shoot I'll just step over the board when I go through the door," but I don't suppose that would be too practical whilst lugging flats of plants in and out. I will throw your suggestion out to the architect in charge of the project and see what he has to say.

my guess is that
the treated base wall would be better insulated
than the greenhouse wall
therefore raising it would not increase the heat hoss

Lala the 'skin' is the white walls you see. What you are getting are the metal parts and maybe the door and any window.

MollyD

Lala, I think it is awesome! :)

Congrats on your new house, LalaJane!

No worries, you're gonna love it no matter what! Your excitement in getting it and your enjoyment to work with it will certainly go a long way towards your fulfillment (and a great end result!!)!

And yes, as Molly says, it looks like your Dad bought the metal hoops (ribs) and any door/window (plus any salvageable hardware, i.e., bolts, nuts, etc).

This means you can easily cover it with some standard greenhouse plastic if you like (preferably inflated double layers) and it will most likely cost less than putting on the rigid plastic/polyvinyl types of coverings.

Be sure to let your Dad feel free to post questions, too. Between all of us I'm sure we'll have you up and running in no time!

Again, Congratulations!

Shoe

Dont be embarassed by your new greenhouse cuz it's a better kind than the one I have. As you can see mine is just simple tubing and thick plastic but i can tell u that I have been able to grow alot of cuttings/seeds in it for the last 3 years. I will eventually get to the point where I will not be able to live without a larger more sturdier one; more along the lines of yours. I know u will have lots of use out of that gh even if it is previously used. Good Luck!

I absolutely love seeing the plants that everyone has in their greenhouses!

I love seeing all the plants, too!