Greenhouse Project
I am a sucker for a project, and a greenhouse project is right up my alley! Many who know me would say it is in my blood! Coupled with the fact that I was raised by a father who was a builder and married a man with the same skills, to say we are dIY’ers is an understatement! In addition, a greenhouse has been in my dreams for as long as I can remember. This spring we made it come to life!
We found some old wooden windows several years ago thanks to a couple that were moving to South Carolina and needed them out of their way. Ironically enough, they had plans to build a greenhouse with them and never had the time to make it happen. We gladly gave them $100 for about 40 old windows with our promise that they would become the greenhouse he had dreamed of! Well…. soon after that…. Covid hit…. then a materials shortage followed… Sadly, lumber tripled in price and we put the greenhouse plans on the back burner until further notice.
Thankfully, the time was finally right and we were able to buy lumber at a more reasonable rate. Below you will find my chronicles of our greenhouse project. I am over the moon excited about this project. Therefore, I am trying my best to document every step, while, of course, being the gopher for my husband while he builds it!
The First Days of the Greenhouse Project Build...
The groundbreaking of the greenhouse project was in early spring of 2023. Thankfully, the winter was mostly behind us here in western NC. Don’t get me wrong, we still had some chilly mornings, but for the most part, the temperatures were warming with the longer days. In addition, the foliage was starting to bloom and we knew we would be living in a vortex of green before we knew it. You see, we live in Transylvania County, one of the rainiest counties in NC, with an average rainfall of approximately 70 inches a year. For this reason, we knew to take advantage of the dry, clear days while we were fortunate to have them!
My kitchen garden, which is where we chose to locate the greenhouse, is on an elevated piece of land below our home. In addition, the land is surrounded by a concrete wall which separates it from the lower part of our yard. In fact, it gives the appearance of an infinity garden sitting up on a pedestal of sorts in my yard. If you can imagine that!?! For this reason, I will be posting pictures from many angles to try to portray the details. See the pictures and captions below to further paint the picture. To learn more about my kitchen garden take a look at this ARTICLE. Be sure to check back often, as I will update our progress with more pictures, videos, and writings. Better yet, sign up for my newsletter below and follow me on social media at Facebook, Instagram to see updates in real time!
Window Greenhouse Project Part 2
Whew! She is underway!! We started out strong with our window greenhouse build due to clear weather and a lot of excitement!
Part two of the build began with putting down landscape fabric while struggling with the windy March days. However, we knew the fabric would hopefully keep the weeds away, so we muddled through. After the fabric was complete, we headed to our local building supply store and purchased a scoop of pea gravel. Pea gravel is a favorite of mine due to the smooth pastel rock that is also gentle to bare feet. Thankfully, we have a tractor which makes the job of unloading gravel a breeze, well almost anyway!
The local building supply store was next on our agenda. We loaded up our truck with enough lumber to get us started and headed back home to start the chore of painting the studs. Painting is my specialty. I can’t say I’m too fond of it, however, I have gobs of painting experience which serves me well. I would also like to note, painting is a wonderful practice of mindfulness. There is something healing about dragging a paintbrush over a blank surface and feeling the reward when the color brings the piece to life! In addition, one cannot complain too much about painting outdoors in western NC on a cool spring morning while enjoying abundant sunshine! Interested in reading more of my content about rest/reset? Read more HERE.
Sketching... Framing... Building... Oh MY!!
Framing of the structure, including the roof, was next to be tackled. Consequently, this part took a lot of brainpower! You see, the windows we purchased were a mix of different houses that spanned different decades. Therefore, the brainstorming and sketches were plentiful! Furthermore, I give all the credit to my husband for his skills! Without a doubt, he is the lover of numbers while I am the lover of words!
She is coming to life! My whimsical greenhouse is beginning to take shape! Check out the video and pictures below. *Click the volume button if you would to hear the sound. Be sure to check back, I will update weekly on our progress! Better yet, sign up for my monthly newsletter below and follow my social media at Facebook and Instagram.
Greenhouse Project Part 2 - Video and Pictures
Window Greenhouse Project Part 3
Hooray! We are starting to get somewhere! There is such a feeling of satisfaction when the walls and roof get finished. We continued to be blessed with dry and sunny weather while the bones of the greenhouse were being built. However, as you will notice in the video, the temperatures took a turn upward, and we had to dress accordingly!
We were over the moon grateful we prepped by painting the wood prior to building. It is so much easier to paint materials on saw benches than climbing and hanging onto a ladder! Once the framing and rafters were complete, it was time for weather stripping and the roofing panels. The clear polycarbonate plastic roofing panels work well for greenhouse buildings. In addition, there are strips and fasteners made specifically for the panels which help make installations go smoothly. As always, I was the gopher from the ground level while the man with the skills went to work. Surprisingly enough, the roof was completed in just a few warm hours. Without a doubt, my 8 X 10 box was starting to look like a greenhouse and my excitement was building by the moment! Check out our video and pictures below and don’t forget to check back for the next update! **Click the volume button on the video if you would like to hear the sound.
Greenhouse Project Part 3 - Video and Pictures
Greenhouse Project Part 4
Windows! Windows! Windows! Next on the agenda, was to install the old, recycled windows. Consequently, the 8 X 10 box became a few steps closer to being the magical greenhouse I am been envisioning!
Planning the arrangement of the windows proved to be quite a geometric word problem! Mr. Math (not me, the hubby) lined the windows in our garage in an array of positions as if they were puzzle pieces. In addition, he focused on designing one wall at a time, starting with the front. Afterward, he would offer me a few scenarios and we would decide together which was the best design to go with. As a result, we decided to center the door, smaller windows surrounding the door, and a functional window above the door. Furthermore, we installed two larger windows in the back with staggered medium sized windows on the sides. Due to the shed roof style, we had to add clear roofing panels where the walls met the roof. This offered a nice balanced look with clean lines.
Overall, she is coming together quite nicely. Things seem to be falling in place (quite literally). Building a greenhouse from random old windows of all different sizes can be a challenge. For instance, we are still working on the details of the door. Mr. Math is considering building it from the old windows too! Enjoy the videos and pictures of the updates and, in the meantime, follow me on social media for pictures in real time on Facebook and Instagram.
Greenhouse Project Part 4 - Video and Pictures
Greenhouse Project Part 5
Part 5! In my last greenhouse update, we installed all the windows and she began to take shape! Next, came the cleaning, caulking, and painting. Painting a window greenhouse reminds me of a tedious bathroom remodel. Without a doubt, the skill for cutting in came in very handy this week! Once the greenhouse looked like a shiny new penny, we got down to business with the door!
Let me begin by saying I do not take doors lightly! You see, there is much more to a door than just an entryway. For instance, a door symbolizes light and dark, opened or closed, life and death. Furthermore, it is a transition or metamorphosis from one state of being into another. My door had to pop! It had to be a door which told a story. I believe we nailed it!
In brief, we designed the door by recycling two windows and building it in a Dutch Door style. As a result, we can open the top part of the door for air flow. A Dutch Door offers the greenhouse such a classic yet whimsical vibe. In addition, we chose black hardware to contrast with the white windows. Luckily, we found an old copper gate handle at our local Underground Salvage Company in Brevard, NC to repurpose as the door handle to complete the look.
Final Touches
Ah…. the best part of the project! All the fanciful details that make a greenhouse a place of refuge! To say this was my favorite part of building the greenhouse is an understatement! Once the door was complete, it was time to move onto the next steps.
I dreamed of having a stained glass feature in my greenhouse but the cards didn’t line up to find one at a reasonable price. So….. we improvised. Luckily, we found this faux stained glass film at the local hardware store. The design on the film was Jasmine, which was perfectly suited for a greenhouse. For this reason, we took our chances and it turned out beautifully. Beautiful is very important, but so is functionality. Therefore, we hinged the window and purchased a automatic vent opener and an automatic exhaust fan. Thus, keeping the greenhouse nice and cool on warm summer days.
Next in order were the countertops and shelving. We chose to use plywood for the work stations and finished them with polyurethane. For the shelving, we chose to make wire racks from hardwood cloth due to it being so economical. However, we started with one long shelf and left the other side empty. This way, I can try things out and see how I want to proceed with more shelving.
Window planter boxes just make things more lovely! Therefore, we finished off the front of the greenhouse with black flower pots with handmade industrial hardware. I absolutely love the way the white, black, and cay blue look together. Finally, we purchased some fancy string lights in multi-colors to string inside to finish the look!
Goodness, let me not forget to mention the gravel walkways that cover the garden space! In particular, the workout the gravel provided! Thank goodness for tractors!! We covered the walkways with heavy duty landscape fabric and then finished with crushed river rock. Crushed river rock was chosen due to it having the appearance of pea gravel but half the cost. Overall, I am very pleased with the whole design!
A full reveal will be coming soon with many more pictures and drone footage! Check back and follow me on social media for updates!
Final Touches - Pictures
