Greenhouses and Solar Sheds: 3 Things to Consider

Greenhouses are wonderful.  When it’s cold and rainy outside, or snowy even, you can be warmly ensconced inside, raising your plants and growing your vegetables all year round.  There are some serious savings to be found by growing your own vegetables in the winter over paying for them when they are out of season!  You could just about grow everything you’d need for a salad…..

 

 

Combining the best of both worlds with the need to plant year round and storage is the solar shed.  Solar sheds provide the light and shelter needed to grow your plants, and provides an additional storage or work area. It truly is a multi-functional building, taking the best of a greenhouse and adding to it.

As with any addition to your house or yard, there are just a FEW things to think about before you jump in:

1. Selecting the right spot for it.  All you need to do is ensure it gets lots of light during all the seasons. If this isn’t possible, make the most of the shade-you can still grow plants like fushias and lilies.  Also, it’s best if you can provide electricity to the greenhouse so keep this in mind as well, bringing in a heater can be a lifesaver.
2. What type of greenhouse would you like?  Wood, metal, big, or small?  Would you be using it for other things, such as storing items?
3. Figure out your options. Literally…decide which options you would like.  Working bench?  Shelves? Windows?  Vents?  Check out the picture below, from Heartland’s Specialty Building called “The Horizon, showing the space available to move, yet you still have a workbench, plenty of light, and windows as well as place to hang plants from above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very simple really!  A little research, some planning, and you’re all set to enjoy your building no matter what the weather throws at you…

 

 

5 Top Reasons to Have Your Own Greenhouse.

Greenhouses….the very word can evoke images from a grand Victorian style structure in the backyard to a little plastic jobbie you put on your window sill.  Many are not aware of the simplicity behind getting and having your own greenhouse, which can also help function as a small storage shed.  Multi-functional buildings are the way to go!

So, why bother getting a greenhouse for yourself?

1. It’s a lot easier than you think.  Most shed companies sell them, and some even include the delivery and the installation in the price.  You can have a shed and a greenhouse all in one.
2. It’s enjoyable!  How fun is it to to select the seeds you want and watch them grow from scratch, resulting in a beautiful crop for yourself?  You can do this all year round.
3. It’s healthy.  You’re eating your own organic vegetables AND having a peaceful place to go and relax. Great for the body and the mind!
4. Saves money.  By growing your own food, you save money over purchasing at the grocery store. Plus it’s right there at your fingertips, steps from your door.
5. Might even be profitable for you.  Starting a batch of plants early and not being so dependent on the weather gives you the opportunity to turn out a lot of vegetables or flowers you can turn around and sell at a Farmer’s Market or local booth of some sort.

Getting a greenhouse isn’t a complicated or an expensive project.  You just need to find the building you like, and find a spot in the yard where it gets maximum sunlight.  Morning sunlight from the east is sufficient for most plants.  Just pick a great spot, pick your seeds and greenhouse, and you’re well on your way to an enjoyable and perhaps profitable hobby.