I'm sorry to hear the winter storm got your little greenhouse... can it be repaired?

It looks like construction for our Harbor Freight 10x12 foot will begin shortly... right now, the local "construction crew" are arguing about the foundation... they want to cut corners and do it the lazy man's way, using pressure treated lumber. The reality is, that kind of wood will react with the aluminum frame and rot the whole thing. It won't last 6 months.

Psyche and I want a concrete block foundation... we want it done right. And so... the argument continues for now. We'll get it done right... or it won't go up by the locals. We'll hire someone else.

I hope you can repair your framework, Lizalily. It's a good idea for using with screening for an insect barrier. I like the piano hinge idea for storage... nifty thinking!

No way I can repair the framework, Jodi. And I cut the plastic up to recycle it this way. THe broken framwork had ripped big holes in the roof where it rubbed on it. 14" of wet heavy snow then strong winds were just too much for it!

Total bummer Lizalily! I hope you get a beautiful, bigger, NEW one!!

Hey Jodi. Here's a thought for the floor. Rather than doing a whole concrete slab, try large square paving stones with crushed stones or gravel between the pavers! You won't have to worry about expansion and the stones in- between can allow for drainage! Plus, if you decide to enlarge or move or get rid of the structure in the future, you don't have a slab to break up.

Well, we weren't thinking of pouring an entire slab... just doing a concrete block short knee-wall type of surrounding footing, to hold the greenhouse down... the flooring would be pea gravel with weed barrier underneath, and possibly a wood slat path up the middle to walk on. It's a fairly small model, but it gets really windy here at times, so we need a solid footing to attach the structure to. There's a frost line to think about, and I know that fits into the equation somehow. We'll be piping it for running water, gas heat, and electricity to run vents, fans and lights, etc...

Lizalily, the Harbor Freight 10-12 foot model is sometimes on sale for a really decent price... we got ours on sale, and I think it was under $600.00... of course, it requires assembly, and a decent footing. But it's a good size for the cost... just in case you were thinking of looking into a new structure. The walls are double thick polycarbonate, and the frame is decent. All in all, it's way less than any other models we could find.

A low cost greenhouse would be easier to talk your husband into! :-)

I do not think we have "Harbor Freight" around here. I never heard of it until you started talking about it. My Hubby already promised me one with a budget of $5000 but not until his last away trip to Saudi Arabia this year, so it will be winter before he gets the money from it probably. I have my greenhouse all picked out. IT is a Sun-Glo, made about 40 miles from here...double polycarbonate walls and good for growing orchids in Alaska even! I will get the biggest one I can after paying for a good load of gravel to level the ground and make a base for it. It is going in the center of my driveway circle, where the bindweed has taken over the garden I had there. I will put down barrier cloth this summer after the peonies have bloomed and I transplant them. I am fantasizing about my beautiful greenhouse and paved patio around it where I can set out potted plants to get benefit of the retained heat on our cool evenings. I Am thinking of growing citrus, and orchids and all kinds of fun things in the winter in it, then sliding them out to the patio around it in the summer and living in a tropical paradise, temperate zone style! How I am going to enjoy this space! I think Tall grasses around it to filter out the driveway dust in summer, and maybe a seating area on the north side where the greenhouse will shade it when it is hot.

I have been wondering about a slab floor vs brick or paving stones and gravel...but here is why I am thinking cement..last year I imported expensive English Sweet pea seeds and had about two hundred cups of sweet peas growing nicely before I set them out in my plastic greenhouse. (SEt over landscape fabric. Field mice came up inside the floor and ate off all the tops of the sweet peas, killing most all of the famcy sweet pea seedlings. So I think I need to have a solid floor! I am thinking I might need to put in a cat door and adopt a stray kitty to be my greenhouse cat too! I doubt if Kia would leave the comfort of my bedroom where she is the princess, and old Hairry, well, he does his own thing, what ever he wants. But a kitty who lived in the greenhouse at night would be there to safeguard it!

I sure need that greenhouse now, even with my"recycled greenhouse"shelves full of dahlias and such, as I pot up my seedlings I am rapidly running out of room in my workroom under my bank of lights...and the temp is down to 40 degrees now at 8:30 PM, so still too cold for my baby flowers and veggies outside on their own. Wonder how long before I have my new greenhouse full to this point!

Lizalily, your new greenhouse plans sound delightful. It's impressive the thought you've put into it, right down to seating area outside and the mice patroler for inside! Good luck with your project. And just my personal vote - Meyer Lemons! Alana

You have a nice greenhouse budget to work with, Lizalily! You'll get some good bang for that buck! We're trying to go cheap, but we know it'll need a good foundation/footing.

I, too, am impressed with your plans... I can picture how it might look, and it's adorable! Very nice! Ours will go at the driveway end, too... between two large garages. We thought about putting a short split rail fence in front of ours, with walkways around it and areas for gardens and potted plants. The tall dog fence that separates the yards will be behind it, and parking would be in front by the split rail fence. I thought maybe some climbing roses for the fence... once it's up, designing around it will be fun!

The unfortunate part is... once Larry and I buy a home up north, we'll be leaving it all behind. It's not mine, anyway... but I'll have full use of it while we're here. The hard part will be moving my plant collections back up north! How do you pack bulbs that are growing?! :-)

I can't wait to see your greenhouse go up, Lizalily! That will be exciting! Just imagine the possibilities!

Where will you be going when you move north, Jodi? How far will you have to move your plants? Maybe some friends with vans and just pack the pots all in tight on the floor of the van? Hopefully the move will be made during moderate weather...or you could move the plants at night. When My Garden Freind and I have made our shopping trips to Forest Farm in Southern Oregon, we take her small pickup and cram the pots in tight in the back, then lay down the trees and shrubs over them, and secure a plastic cover over the whole load. THen we only stop if we can park in shade, and we drive all the way home that night even though we usually stop in Portland on the way down. IT is about 5 or 6 hours of driving to go straight through, and we usually go in April. Everything is just fine when we get home.

Where we'll be eventually moving to isn't really that far... only about 4 hours north by car. We'll be going from the Champaign area to the Rockford area. We're both originally from the vicinity of Crystal Lake/Algonquin/Dundee, and we've both lived in that general area our entire lives... with the exception of a year's stay for me in PA, when I first got divorced. So, it's not that far... and we'll most likely wait until the weather is decent.

I had thought that I'd pack as many pots as I can into short, open boxes... I can get tons of short produce boxes from Sam's Club... and since I worked in shipping for many years, I've got a knack for packing things very optimally!

Whenever we travel, I pack the bags AND the car! Larry does a fair job, but he can't get as much packed into our small car as I can! It helps that my ex was Navy, and he taught me to pack a seabag like a sailor, and how to stow gear! LOL! Just my plants, alone, would be one entire load in the car... not including supplies and my shelving! It'll all work out, I'm sure...

When Psyche and I shop for plant material, we always park in the shade, crack the windows a few inches, and try to make the plant purchasing the last stops we make. It's only a 1/2 hour trip to Champaign, though. You guys do it right... that's less stress on the plants, for sure! We don't have a truck, though... just a Jeep Cherokee. You guys are lucky! You can fit way more in!

Pardon my jumping in, I was lurking and saw your posts.

Jodik if you put a barrier between the pressure treated lumber and the frame of the Harbor Freight Greenhouse there is no problem. Mine is going on four years old now. Many have done this on the greenhouse forum here on Garden Web.

Lizalily, we do have Harbor Freight stores in Portland. Likely you do too in Western Washington. I would not have purchased a HFGH if I had your budget though. They do require a lot of upgrades to be less flimsy. My budget was under $1000 and without HF, I'd have no greenhouse.

I have been though two "flower house" greenhouses in 5 years. THey work great at first but we could never figure out how to take them down and put them away in the winter, and Since I needed them starting in FEb I never got around to it. THe first one sort of lasted me 3 yrs, the 2nd one 2 years. My husband thinks I should just get a good solid one that will last with the money. I get the same amount he spent on a garden shed last year. I gave him a budget of $2000 and he spent $8000 so The $5000 for my greenhouse is sort of an apology, LOL.

Now he is talking about a work assignment in Asia for several years, delaying his retirement until the economy improves. I will not build the greenhouse until I Know we will be staying here. As for the overseas assignment, yes, I think it would be a lot of fun!! It would be to KOrea, the birthplace of two of our adopted daughters. If we go, I may need new homes for a lot of Amaryllis and seedlings!Gee, so you suppose I could get some of those Japanese miniatures over there?

Thank you for interjecting... no need to lurk! Jump right in! :-)

I do realize that a barrier would work, but I worry about the lumber, or construction, not lasting very long. Unfortunately, the men who will be erecting this greenhouse are known for cutting corners, shoddy workmanship, and temporary rigging of many things... but they are friends of the greenhouse owner, so we have no choice. I'd really prefer to have a cinder block footing with better wood for bolting the framework to. In other words, we have to MAKE them do a better job than they want... if we hope to get much use out of the thing!

On the one hand, Lizalily, I hope you don't move... I would miss being able to send you things, and miss your bouquet photos... and miss you! :-) On the other hand, it's a very exciting thought, and a wonderful opportunity! Korea would be very interesting to garden in!

If you end up staying, use your fabulously large budget to get a really good greenhouse! You won't regret spending on a well-made, solid structure! Plus, your plans for gardening around it sound so wonderful! :-)

I was lurking because I don't know anything about Hippis. I used to sell them in the boxes when I was a florist but never brought one home and never knew there were so many. Someone gave me one last year and it is blooming now. I'm sure it is Red Lion. I'm in love with the ones with the green on the flowers.

I have the 6 x 8 Harbor Freight, it was only $229 on sale but DH spent more than that on the 2 x 12's for the frame and the pond I had him build at one end.

If he would have spent $8000 on our shed he would not have lived to see the greenhouse!

I would not buy a Harbor Freight if I had several thousand to spend. They are a real greenhouse but they are somewhat flimsy and need modifications/upgrades to preform well.

Here is a link that might be useful: my greenhouse

We, meaning my gardening partner and I, picked out the larger model, and I've done a bit of research on it... it looks like it might be a small nightmare to put together! I'm glad I'm not the one who will be doing the construction on this thing!

It's not the greenhouse I'd choose for myself, if I were looking for a permanent structure... but I have to admit that it's affordable, and if you don't mind modifying it a bit, it could be a decent little structure. I doubt it will get much use once we (my husband and myself) move north again.

If I had a large budget to work with, I'd get a much better model.

Yours is really cute, though! I can see that you have it in a rather sheltered location.