Thanks to Sheri putting the photos on for me you can finally see what I have done. If anyone has any questions please just ask me. I love having the 2 together. And doors on each end saves a lot of running around in circles. I have orchids hanging from the top and a lot of bedding plants started to sell in about a month. Again really love this set up.

Sheri thanks so much for the help.

Carol(funnylady)

Okay, so I have questions LOL!

Where the two greenhouses meet in the center...where the two end walls are back to back...did you just drill holes in the frame and bolt the two greenhouse frames together with bolts and nuts?

On the roof and walls, where the two frames meet...did you have to fill that gap with something for air leaks...or were you able to bolt the frames together tightly enough so you didn't have a gap there?

To make the opening between the two greenhouses, it looks like you removed some of the vertical back wall studs. Did you find you had to reinforce that area with something after you removed the studs to make the opening?

I would love having doors on both ends.
Sheri

The 2 gh have seperate bases that are bolted together. (already had one built when I desided to do this. So it was like putting 2 already built gh together. Where the two greenhouses meet in the center it has insulation put in from the outside and then the metal wall studs were riped down to make them a little narrow so they over lap to fit tight on the sides. They get screwed to the braces of the gh ends and in the middle where they will overlap. I also put calk in the insulation so water can not leak in.

To make a larger doorway from one gh to the other I cut rear braces #31 in half, moved parts #14 over to the sides which made a nice large walk way of about 45 in. Also covered then with metal wall studs. And cut the two bottom frames so I didn't have to step over them all the time.

More photos from Carol (funnylady) with her comments:

Photo 4: Had to move first GH past tree to make room to add second GH.
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Photo 5: This is where both backs meet on outside before covering them with wall studs.
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Photo 6: This is the way the 2 backs are together in the inside and covered with wall studs.
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Photo 7: Outside where backs are joined and covered. It was raining when this was taken.
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Photo 8: Some of what I have started in GH
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Carol,

What a wonderful idea to incorporated two greenhouses into one. It looks like you really thought this project through well and did a fine job sealing off the area in the center.

I have a couple questions for you.

1. What do you use to heat your greenhouse? Do you need to have two heaters one for each end? Or can you sufficiently heat it with one?

2. You have so much room there...what do you use your greenhouse for? I see the herbs you have seeded. They look so healthy. Very nice.

Also, I noticed in your yard you are growing bananas. How wonderful. I am hoping, once I finish my greenhouse I will be able to grow some bananas, pineapple and some other tropical fruit trees. What kinds of banana trees are you growing and are there some that have better tasting fruit than others?

Sorry for all the questions. It looks like you did a wonderful job with joining both of your greenhouses. Thank you for sharing the photos.

Tj

ladylotus

I use very little heat in my greenhouses.They usually stay around 45 to 50 at night and that is enough for what I have in there. I did have to use a heater in there this winter because it was much colder than usual down here. But 1 small milk house heater did the job, and it was on a therostat. But one heater does the job OK. And doesn't run that much. Just got my electric bill for when the heater was on and can't really see any differance. House is also heated with electric.(most are in Florida)

I grow alot of orchids. I have about 40 of them hanging from the roof. That was one of the reasons that I want to put 2 green houses together. I also have a lot of Christmas Catus.

Right now I have about 40 flats of seed started. I sell the plants to make some extra money. And it's alot of fun for me. Some say to much work, but when I'm in the GH doing things I have no other cares in the world. I also have 2 smaller GH's to all the flats of plants in until it gets a little warmer. The weather has been change back and forth so bad this year that I affraid to leave them out yet, but it is early.

Yes we have banana trees but never had bananas yet, they have been in for 2 years. Bananas trees really got hit hard from all the frost we had here this winter. One of the coldest we've had in a long time.

Well time to go to thw GH's and work for a little while.
Just love it out their.

Carol

That's one thing I noticed in the photos too...all those BIG tropical looking plants around the GH. That does NOT look like my yard (makes me jealous.)

Carol, if you find a photo showing how you hang all those orchids, I'd be interested in seeing it. I still haven't figured out a way to do hanging plants in my HFGH without worrying about the weight. Some hanging cactus plants can get really heavy (and I'm chicken.) I'm still thinking about building some kind of separate framework so the weight just goes down to the ground, instead of pulling on the roof.

I see in your last photo that you bought the kind of brackets for the Rubbermaid shelving that I ALMOST bought...the ones that clip into the slotted wall tracks so you can later adjust the shelves up and down. I think those brackets are much stronger than the other lighter weight Rubbermaid shelf brackets I bought. (At the time I was having big guilt attacks about all the expenses adding up!) That looks great.

How nice you live in a climate that allows you heat it without spending a fortune, too! I was thinking that having two together would even allow you to block off one end and only heat half of it (for folks who live in colder climates.) Or, if the center portion was pretty airtight, maybe have two different heat zones? Hmmm. A colder half for my more cold-hardy cacti, and a warmer half for my wimpier succulents from South Africa...wouldn't that be lovely.

DH says we need to buy a larger lot first. ;-)

Carol,

Thank you for answering my questions.

You are fortunate to use only one heater and it sounds like you use it very little at that. I'm worried about how much it is going to cost for me to heat my greenhouse next winter.

That's really neat that you sell plants. Do you sell both perennial and annual plants? What a great way to make some extra money and actually do something you love to do. ;)

I'm surprised at how many people are growing orchids. I definitely plan on increasing the amount of orchids I have as well. I've been reading Orchiddude's(Rob)posts thoroughly as he has an enormous variety of orchids and often posts photos. I saw at Walmart the other day these crate like wooden pots that hang from chains. Do people grow orchids in those?

Well, I hope you had a great day puttering around in your greenhouse.

Your set up looks wonderful.

Tj

(more photos from Carol) :-)

Photo 9: This is standing on the ground; the green is screen. I have to do that to keep the squirrels out. Use clamps to hold it up and on the side and bottom. If I don't the squirrels empty the pots of bark in no time. And I don't like picking it all up off the floor everyday.
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Photo 10: Still have Xmas cactus blooming. And this also shows the shelf better. I bought the 12 in. wall brackets and cut then in half. to save money. I knew how high I wanted my shelves from having the first 10X12. The piece that the shelf sits on is nice and heavy. I like clay pots so this is much better than the other brackets.
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Photo 11: Standing on ladder looking to back of GH.. Just some of my orchids. Notice the black clips in the roof trusses, they really hold alot. I have never had a plant fall. You can get them from ACF. ACF calls them bubble clips now. They come 20 to a pack for $9.95.
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COOL! I found the black bubble wrap clips at ACF, they're about one third of the way down on this page, if anyone wants to see them. I have looked at the bubble wrap clips that Charley's sells, but I wasn't loving their bright green color. I like these better and they're more versatile with the ring for hanging things. I read that items compatible with Juliana greenhouses are also compatible with Harbor Freight. I'm really glad to know about these!

That's also a good idea to cut that slotted track material for the Rubbermaid shelf brackets to shorter lengths...to reduce the cost.

So the green screen material hangs down in a flap over your doorway when the doors are open? I do the same thing with a flap of Aluminet shade cloth, to keep west sun out, and to make sure none of my pesky Thrashers wander in there and start pecking plants. I don't have squirrels tossing bark around, but these birds leave my succulents with permanent tattooes and holes. That makes me very grumpy, so the flap of shadecloth is extra insurance. Our German Shepherd has gotten very good at flipping it out the way with his nose when he wants in. :-)

Your plants look great Carol. Nice to get a feel for what it would be like to stand in a 10x24 Harbor Freight GH...looooong.

Carol,
Your gh's are beutiful. I love how you hung plants from the ceiling. That is great. It really makes it look like a gh with the plants hanging down. Nice Job! Barb

I can't tell how much sunlight you get in your greenhouse and I'm fairly new to orchids, can they take that much light? WOW! I have all of mine scattered around my house, but none of them are getting much sunlight. I've been worrying about when I move them to my greenhouse in a couple weeks. I thought perhaps they might be getting too much sun in my greenhouse.

Thanks for sharing all the photos. I enjoy see how you constructed your shelving and the fact you used all your free space very well by hanging your orchids in pots.

Tj

Tj

I do have shad cloth on the greenhouse. It is Aluminet 50%. That seems to work good for me down here in Florida.
Also I have alot of different orchids growing together so some of them can take more sum than others. My orchids bloom year round for me. I don't really know what I'm doing that so right but I'm glad I'am doing it. Having all that room to hang my plants is part of the reason I joined the second GH to the first. Love all the room I have. I have 2 other small GH's that I still use also. My husband says that I'm a plant nut. I have my orichids in pots because it makes them easy to hang.
I have been thinking about putting up another shelf. I have too many things in the way all the time. And I'm even toying with the idea of adding another GH to the tow that already have together. Just can't make up my mind if I want to take out another tree.

I am so excited....Funny lady what did you use on the outside where the two gh's meet? :) Barb

I used the metal wall studs for building a house.

Thank you I will let al know...He was wondering what you used..:) I will keep you informed as we go along and sherri for her blog....:) Barb

Still love my 2 Harbor Freight GH joined together.I have almost 100 orichids hanging from the roof now. Had to run heat almost all winter this year because it was so COLD at night. But vents would open during the day because it was so hot.
I'm still wanting to add another GH to these but don't want to take the tree out in from forn the GH.

Hi Carol, good to hear from you again. Glad to hear you are still enjoying your double greenhouse. 100 orchids hanging from the roof must be a sight to see!

After surveying all the plants in my GH that need to be repotted, divided, and spruced up, I've decided that one greenhouse is all I need (I figure another 120 square feet would work me to death!)

Of course, I'd die happy...
Sheri