A previous response addresses this problem very well. We are not only hot in West Texas, but very dry as well. A deep mulch is essential. Drip irrigation is not only efficient, but cost effective in terms of saving water while watering deeply. Find out which vegetables can thrive in your conditions and you should be able to garden very effectively. In Texas, the optimal gardening season is autumn. Many wonderful vegetables grow their best then. A lot of your languishing summer crops will also come to life and begin producing as the weather cools. Don't miss out on this lovely time of year to garden. Here is a link that might be useful: In the Charamon Garden

Bonnie, you're in inspiration to Tightwads (and glass-artists and writers) who garden everywhere....and I mean that without the slightest bit of sarcasm! =oD I've got two of those Canadian Tire greenhouses (the largest they carry) and the only reason is that I was given one as birthday gift from my parents (it was half-price). I was so happy to have something help me harden off my bazillion tomatoes [well...most years, anyway :-( ] that I didn't have to fake excitement one little bit: I told them it was the best gift EVER, and meant it. The rule in my family is Daughter Happy RE: A Gardening Thing = A Gardening Thing That Dad Must Have. So he went and bought one for himself. And thought it was the same as a commercial greenhouse - heat and ventilation and automatic watering. Yep, it's got all three: sun-heat (and a little space-heater for cold nights), ventilation (roll up the windows) and automatic watering (I turn on the water, it automatically flows, I fill my pitcher and water). He was so disgusted with the *gasp!* WORK gardening was becoming that he threw it out, said "come get it or it's in the garbage." I only broke a half-dozen speeding laws (and a couple of Laws of Physics) getting to his place. Ain't clueless wanna-be gardeners wonderful? :-D I'm glad I don't have much of a squirrel problem. I'm sure this wouldn't stop so much as a determined gerbil. I hope you can take some pictures soon, and show us what you built: I do veggie gardening out at a neighboring farm, and the gophers are aways a challenge. It would be nice to have a hardening-off pen out there. I could just throw a tarp over it at night if needed. Toujours gai, - Merri

if it won't fit in it, it can be tied to the top... :) I'm still thrilled to HAVE a car- I spent 4 years in Oakland, CA, sans car- and did a HUGE amount of curb-shopping, since I was usually supporting more than just my self on my whopping $16K a year...not only did I do the street faire thing with stock and roll-up camp tables lashed to my (also dumpsterdived, frankenstiened) mountain bike...I lugged duffle bags of laundry, all the groceries, a 3x4' mirror, 40 lb bags of compost, and a rocking chair home! I put so much of a burden on the poor rack ( I had a double-size milk crate strapped to the rack as a 'trunk') that eventually the back tire wore a hole through the metal base :) I needed to call a cab to get the couch home, though ;) all of this humiliated my louse of a boyfriend no end-though for some reason, his not paying rent for months at a time didn't bother him at all. I shoulda put HIM out on 'toxic household waste' day ;)

from florida, Can you possibly scan a layout/take a picture? I have discovered I'm not that great at picturing from descriptions- not even from layouts- but could tell you more if I saw pictures! :>) I may have a similar wall to you- in one sense- My front door/foyer looks directly up the stairs to my kitchen sink with greenhouse window which looks into my backyard. One of my pantry cupboards (I have two 18" ones flanking my fridge) creates an 'alleyway' into kitchen on the right side of the doorway, and I will have a lighted alcove with glass shelves on the other side of doorway- both are about 8" away from door edge. I, however, love the look of the side of the pantry- coincidentally- just before I read your post- I had just come from the kitchen where I had lovingly patted the maple and told it how beautiful it was! :>) In the old kitchen, that would have been the side of the fridge plastered with take out menus- magnets, etc. To give you perspective- this pantry extends all the way to the 8 foot ceiling, but at 24" deep, protrudes into kitchen less than the fridge did, so in a way, that's also better. We actually haven't moved into kitchen yet (still waiting for granite), but I left the side plain so that I may hang artwork- sculpture or something there. If you decide not to move pantry- could you do something on the side- hang a mirror maybe that would reflect light?