An Upcycled Greenhouse

Reader Contribution by Bethann Weick

Our first project on this summer’s list is begun.  It’s not part of the original season’s plan, but one that we readily embraced when the opportunity presented itself: building a greenhouse.

You see, neighborhood friends recently had a carport blow over in a windstorm. Five of the six rib supports made it through the tumble, but the whole unit was destined for the dump. Luckily for all, another option entered the picture – upcycle the remaining parts!  So thanks to neighbors’ generosity and our thriftiness, we loaded the parts and trucked them to our property’s edge. From there it was quite the carry.

Each rib of 2” piping arches over a 24’ span, making it an unwieldy armful with which to navigate through the woods. But it had to be done, and so it was.  And that was simply the beginning.  We now had a pile of arches and support poles piled amongst brambles, wild strawberries, small saplings, large stumps, and old slash. All told, this tent-turned-greenhouse would measure 16’ x 24’. Though I had been steadily clearing small amounts of land to increase the garden space, this sort of square footage would take some work.  

As to where the greenhouse would stand, and which direction it would be oriented…well, there were a finite number of options before us and Ryan & I came to agreement fairly rapidly. West of the old cellar hole, north of the current compost pile; the young Northern Spy apple that I planted last spring will likely have to be dug and moved come next April.

It seemed like a formidable task in front of us: take this overgrown mess of an area and turn it into something that can grow food.  Not only that, but we set ourselves an ambitious deadline: later this month we’re hosting a gathering of friends, and the opportunity to use the greenhouse as a tent in case of rain quickly became appealing. So ready, set, go: we have just a couple weeks to transform the ground, level the area, and anchor the structure’s skeleton in the ground.

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