Well you are lucky to have that, I would have died for one like that on my house but Im in ohio so thats how that goes! You could do orchids? I dont know really!

I used to live in SE Michigan and I so very much wanted a nice fat greenhouse like this (maybe a less drafty one) but here it just seems silly. It's almost 18'x12'.

Insane.

Depends on how much you like to grow things. It may not get frosty much there but it also probably doesn't get very warm. Want tomatoes? You may find they are difficult to grow outside. The list could go on. Even basil can be a challenge to grow in a cool summer climate. I know. I live in a fog pocket.

Or maybe you'd develop an interest in something more exotic. Pineapples? Papayas? I'd seriously consider before I'd tear it down, unless you just don't have the interest or time for it and you plan to stay there long enough to make a thorough remodel sensible.

We're in a fog-free zone, fortunately. For growing stuff, we're situated nicely, cool enough for cherries, warm enough for all citrus (Sunset magazine disagrees about the citrus, but if they drove through my neighborhood they'd realize they were mistaken). Tomatoes do well, but start and end later than the valley.

But now, if I could get tomatoes year round, I'd do that.

I wonder if having a greenhouse with artificial lighting in the suburbs makes you a target for criminals--I often read about pot farmers being robbed.

OK. I will investigate tomatoes. That is worthwhile. Thanks!

I have successfully grown Stupice and SunGold tomatoes during the winter in my very small greenhouse (6' x 6'). They grow slowly when it gets cold, but they do grow and they do ripen to something better than anything in the supermarket. Greenhouse cucumbers that don't need pollination are another possibility, but they don't much care for the cold.

Ahhh you are an enabler! Do you have to heat your tomatoes? This heater looks frighteningly vintage. The glass is single-paned and doesn't look especially tight. I think the top is polycarbonate (or an early version of that). Even so, looks like an earthquake death trap. :)

The previous owners left all their little pots--nothing big enough for a grown tomato plant. I'll probably never figure out what they were doing. The setup isn't for show though--very utilitarian:

{{gwi:298163}}

Wow....would I (and, I imagine, countless others) love to have something like that.

No, I don't heat my greenhouse except for a 25 W boat heater that is suspended on the rims of the pots containing papayas--and only when the temps go below 40F.

I have a very small PVC greenhouse, covered with 6 mil plastic and an added layer of bubble wrap, so it's nothing fantastic. Nonetheless, at least those two varieties of tomato have worked for me. I've grown some cucumbers as well but found them problematic for disease reasons. This spring I am trying Minnesota Midget cantaloupes (that summer fog.....) and they are doing well so far, but they require...ah...help in the reproduction department. Still, have a few small melons set already.

Anyway, that is a great space. If inclined you could probably grow all kinds of things (think pineapples!).

Fori - Can you use it as a "conservatory room" - a greenery-filled sitting area that's warmer than outside during that cold foggy season? You know, August.

That and getting a jump on tomato season. Grow some things in pots like eggplant and okra - pretty, tropical and edible. Peppers are also pretty.

Hmm. We don't have a foggy season but I can NOT grow okra outside! My regular grocer doesn't carry it either. So that is a good thing to try.

The spouse did talk about using it as a sitting room. But we should try growing stuff in it first. It's pretty rustic.

OK. The greenhouse will be spared at least one growing season. (It's so cute.)

No no no... don't tear it down.. you are so lucky to have one of those.

You can create tropical garden with exotic plants... banana, chilli, capsicum all need warm spot to grow. what about the asian greens? i've got recipes for asian greens that you can try if you want.

Also, even when it is frost free, the air temperature is different than soil temperature if you want to grow stuff from seed, generally soil is cooler by not sure how many degrees. So if you can raise the temperature, you are helping the seed to germinate faster. i found this article to be quite useful. He talks about soil temperature vs germination time. http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html

plus, during winter, you can have your tea and have a spot to read a magazine without having to turn on the heater. win win!

Thanks for the link Bunny.

Funny, there is a banana plant just outside the greenhouse! Doubt that one can actually get fruit here though.

Would walling off the short, SE-facing end spoil its function completely?

I'm in a similar climate and I use my greenhouse to start seeds in the fall/winter, raise cuttings and overwinter tender plants in pots. Even though we don't get froze every year zone 10 plants will get going much sooner if they are protected in winter. I don't have a heater at all, just some heat mats and a heating cable attached to a sheet of plywood, which go under the pots. Some plants I am able to overwinter this way include Coleus, Impatiens, Clerodendron and plumeria
In summer it is mostly empty, except I move houseplants like orchids in and add shade cloth to keep it from getting too hot. I have not tried to grow Toms in summer as it would be too hot with full sun (no shade cloth).

Chad