A Backyard Greenhouse

For those who would like to do more gardening but live in a short growing season area, a hobby greenhouse is the answer. A backyard greenhouse is not large enough to produce vegetables or flowers on a commercial basis. It will, however, give you a place for a tomato plant or two and some fresh greens even if you live in the northern regions. Hobby greenhouse enthusiasts even have their own association, called the Hobby Greenhouse Association, which publishes a quarterly magazine. The organization also sponsors events and helps individuals connect to get help with other gardeners that share their same interests, whether it’s growing cacti or saving seeds.

If you are in the market for a hobby greenhouse, there are several types on the market. The smallest type is not large enough to walk into and must be accessed from the outside. It resembles an old-fashioned phone booth made all of glass and outfitted with shelves. This type of greenhouse is designed to fit as many plants as possible in as small a place as possible. The shelves are made of glass to allow as much light as possible to reach plants on the lower shelves. Another inexpensive version of this sort of hobby greenhouse is shelving covered with a zippered tent of clear plastic. This sort of arrangement is great for the small-scale hobby gardener wanting a place to keep her flowers or houseplant starts.

There are a variety of designs of hobby greenhouse that are large enough to walk into but made entirely of clear glass or plastic. They are often about the same size as a small storage building. Better hobby greenhouses are equipped with automatic sensors that open vents which allow ventilation and keep the interior temperatures from getting too high. These are a great labor saver, but can get expensive. Another benefit sometimes found in nicer greenhouses is a built in irrigation or misting system. Members of the Hobby Greenhouse Association, or HGA, have invented many interesting designs of greenhouses.

If you are interested in building your own hobby greenhouse there are many plans available for free you can get some great plans at http://www.freeplans.glenns-garden.com/?page_id=6 . These plans are free and offer all different types of greenhouse structures you can build in your own backyard. From simple to elaborate. There are also many companies now selling assembled kits on line featuring instructions and all the accessories.

If gardening is your hobby,no doubt greenhouse growing will interest you. With a greenhouse, you can have the earliest tomatoes and fresh salad greens all year. You can also start seedlings for the main garden early in the spring when outdoor temperatures would kill them.This not only allows you to get a head start but will save you money as well. You can buy a lot of seeds for the price of a couple of nursery grown plants. Having you own hobby greenhouse will allow you to start plant varieties from seed that you can not find at your local nursery or garden center like special tomato varieties or heirloom vegetables . Yes a hobby greenhouse can be a good investment and one which will open a whole new aspect to your gardening .