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We have become adept at making lemonade out of lemons around here.
Two weeks ago, I posted April Midwest Gardening-not so pretty! and showed you all the damage and how far behind Chicagoland is from Spring. Since then we have had two 5-6" snowfalls, an icestorm and over 5" of rain in the last week.
Our NEW 8'x10' Greenhouse was wrecked over the winter--so hubby decided to work off the heavy tubular frame and use it for a new greenhouse--more stable then the 1 year old UV destroyed fabric used in the zippered greenhouses. (that company is out of business)
He's been dodging rain deluges, snow and wind and managed to get this far. He built an exo-skeleton of treated wood over the existing tubular frame. This REDO was done by meticulously drilling through the pipes and bolting the boards on. Technically this green house is portable, as the only thing attached to the ground is the metal frame which can be unbolted.
Maybe six guys will be able to move it, lol.
With our huge snow accumulations and drifting here in windy Chicago-land, he chose corrugated aluminum for about a third of the way up, all the way around. We chose basement windows which open from the outside. We've been rolling up plastic canvas windows for over 10 years---so this is just as easy.
The greenhouse is straight-but the ground slopes. Hubby put in four basement windows and in the back, one sash window. All this was designed around our shelving and work areas. A storm/screen door will be used on the front. The ground beams were put in a year ago as was the gravel, sand, pea gravel floor. This is designed to drain water into the ground at GREEN thing to do.
Our excessive rainfall, has been so huge they have asked people to forego washing machines and unnecessary showering to help the already taxed drainage systems. I don't ever remember that happening before.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Do you ever roam the big box hardware stores looking for something that doesn't exist?
Hubby used some left-over brown roofing flashing---he trimmed and added a bend to create a waterproof surface for the corrugated plastic panels to sit on. Water from the inside or outside will just roll out. All the trim will be painted brown outside, to match the house. Brown windows would have been a custom order and would have cost over double.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
From inside you can see the framing around the windows. This side is all ready for the clear panels which are easy to install.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This looks metal looks critter proof, but of course they can simply dig underneath and have a nice home for the winter. I'm hoping to try and grow late fall crops in here---fresh lettuce and maybe a few tomatoes and peppers too.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Hubby took these photos today, May 9th and you can see the neighbors perrenicals are barely out of the ground.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Hubby is improvising as he goes along, tweaking and making changes. I'm hoping I can she-shed it a bit---we will see, if nothing else it is very 'Farm' looking. But the point is to be able to grow our own plants from seed.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The flashing is brilliant----making do with what you have---we had some left over from the roof repair, last year.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
We know there may be some gaps when all the panels are on---but we will work with that when we get there! Our extra length of patio lights is right above and in front of the greenhouse. Electricity is
just a post away--so we can use a heater if necessary.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Now if the weather will only cooperate, hubby could get this done. Hopefully on Mother's day the boys can help with the roof panels! He's doing a great job and soon we will be able to move our plants from our improvised plastic hut off the front porch.
Is this going to be winter-proof? I'm sure some caulk and maybe some expanding insulation foam will be utilized. After all-WE-are the 'McGyvers' as my husband calls it.
HOW's YOUR SPRING LIST COMING???
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Thank you for your cooperation,
Sandi
Sandi
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Lovely project!It would be great if I could have a green house!My plants are burnt by too much sun...Or destroyed with too much wind.Happy Mother's Day!It would be a pleasure having tea with you!
ReplyDeleteHi Maristella, an inexpensive canopy can be made with stringing wires and some UV material over your plants. This still lets water and some sun through but removes the really nasty rays and some of the heat. Our old greenhouse was in the shade too much, so I expect I may have to do that in this new one! And the tea date---is a deal!
DeleteWow, all that work your hubby has done on the greenhouse looks great! We are having a strange spring here in NJ, too. No late spring snow, but so much rain! And it has been COLD! I've worn my down jacket the last three days. I've never heard about limiting use of showers and washing machines because of too much rain. Yikes, that's scary!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit, yes, it's been pretty horrid, lol. it's in the low 50's today for a high and all the plants got moved into the finished greenhouse. Chicagoland sits in a big 'saucer' caused by the ice age. Just a few miles west of here drains to the Mississippi, but all of Chicago/burbs proper drain into lake Michigan--rather slowly---so being overwhelmed with so much rain does happen despite many drainage projects and reservoirs. Thanks for the visit.
DeleteSandi,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your torn ligament...I hope it gets better soon so you can move around...The green house looks lovely!! I wish I had room for something like that!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Thanks Debbie, I wish they had just done the replacement---3 weeks in and it isn't any better at all. I hate that this is the way you have to prove you need, 'health-care' in order for medicare to kick in.
DeleteHe is doing a Fine job and I pray it holds up for the Winter so you don't have another redo! We've had unseasonable weather too here in the Desert but for us it's rather Welcome, record LOWS for late Spring! Wow, that never happens in the Arizona Desert, record HIGHS all of the time, not record Lows... and some say Climate Change is a Myth... I think not! Our problem is having a 100 degree day followed by a 60 degree day and so sickness abounds and a lot of folks are dropping like Flies or feeling out of sorts!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Dawn, I will past on---we have had a crazy insane non-spring. Now it's storm after storm, but our plants are hunkered down in the greenhouse-safe and sound, while we try and wait for the garden to be tilled, its too muddy.
DeleteYou have a very clever husband there! I LOVE your little greenhouse. There is just something about a cute little greenhouse. I always seem to wander around a hardware store and never seem to find what it is I am looking for.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Kim. You should see me in search of things to use for my dolls---in a big box hardware store---! You never know what you may find that might work for small scale. Thanks for stopping, by!
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