Greenhouse

Years past, when I tried to start my seeds indoors, something always happens to mess it up--

new puppy got into the trays; toddlers toddling around, knocking the trays over; too cold, too hot, not enough water, too much water.

Ugh! I usually end up buying flats of young plants and transplanting.

This year! I vow to do better! This year, I want to get my garden started earlier! This year, I will build that greenhouse!

Taking advantage of the mild winter, I finally did it-- I built a little greenhouse.

Nothing fancy, just a cattle panel bent between two t-bars and then plastic we saved from a mattress and box-spring set. I backed it against the pole barn and stapled the plastic to the wall, then tied down the plastic in certain spots to keep it tacked down. It got quite warm in there, when I was fastening the ties, so I'm hoping future trays of seeds will thrive in there.

I need another bit of plastic to cover the bottom of the doorway there, and then it's good to go.  If it works out well, I'll tweak it and improve it some more next year and possibly make it a little larger using a second cattle panel. I'm trying to use materials I already have.

The bottom of the plastic will be rolled up if it gets too warm in there, I'll use clothespins to keep the plastic up and to keep the plastic closed, in lieu of a door.  If it works out, I'll spend a little more resources on it, make a door from scrap wood and make it more sturdy. For now, we're using an old shelf and looking for another one to slip in there on the side to hold more flats. I want to get gravel for the floor later, but for now, I'm using those floor mats you find in playrooms.  Just something to keep the weeds down. 

Nothing fancy, but it should do the trick. Wish me luck!