[Jo] I am so excited to finally begin the greenhouse. I can’t tell you how many plants I’ve lost, many tropicals laboriously trailored from Tampa, cuttings, seedlings, grafts. It’s truly disheartening to invest so much time, money and effort in something, and see it die in a matter of a few days. In this climate, a greenhouse is not a luxury, but a necessity. We are learning that many plants that would normally be planted in the outside garden, like tomatoes, that may look great and even set fruit, can’t bring it to maturity at our altitude. Everything in this environment is an experiment. What succeeds and what fails tells us what will have to be grown in a protected environment.

Eric digging the greenhouse footer

The greenhouse will be attached to the side of the barn, with the roof just slightly below the barn roof. It will be fifteen feet wide and sixty feet long–”it’ll do for a start.” We’ve been collecting double paned sliders for four years for the glazing. It’ll be tall enough that winter sun will penetrate well into the back of the structure. It will have doors in the middle, and on the two sides, with ventilators to keep it from overheating (though I’m having trouble believing that will be much of an issue). There will be a misting bench, a bottom heated propagation area, 500 gallons water catchment off the roof, a mix of inground and container beds. The greenhouse will face south looking out over the outside raised beds. It will have a door into the living area of the barn, and windows between the two will deliver light and heat to the living area.