Portable Greenhouse - The Backyard Greenhouse, An Excellent Alternative For Gardening

A greenhouse means freedom for any gardener and a portable greenhouse adds even more freedom.  If you are a city or suburban gardener then weather extremes can be very frustrating.  Your gardening is shutdown in the winter, extreme weather can destroy your plants in the summer, and there is more need to tend your plants every day when they are outside.  In a greenhouse you escape the weather problems and it can be setup to automatically water and tend the plants when you must be away.  A portable greenhouse can provide just the environment that you need.    

Portable greenhouses can solve these problems even if you live in the city and only have a small yard.  Portable greenhouses range from fairly small to 8'x10' and larger.  You will be amazed at the kind of gardening projects you can accomplish in that space considering that you also have shelves and tables to hold the plants.  Your gardening activities can continue even into the worse winter months if you add electric or passive solar heating.

Types of Portable Greenhouses

1. As with full-sized permanent greenhouses there are various styles available.  Lean-to which can attach to a house or garage to save on construction costs and ease of providing electricity and water.
2. Miniature greenhouses which are collapsible.  These are of various sizes used for perennials and other small plants.  They can also be used to start plants in the spring.

You can build your backyard greenhouse from plans or a kit, but as simple as they are - a simple frame and plastic covering you might as well save even more and use plans.  In these small sizes construction will take anywhere from a couple of hours to a day depending on the size and detail of your choices.  Your greenhouse, like the larger models should have a screen door and a screen vent that allows air to circulate and allows for cooling when it is hot.  You can also let outside air in to prepare plants that you have started in the winter to acclimate themselves for transplanting outdoors.  When the vents close you can increase the humidity if you want to help plants that need it.  Otherwise you can keep possibly damaging wind and rain out.

Most commercial kits make use of UV resistant material that resists rips and tears; velcro, snaps, or zippers are used for fasteners on the openings.  If you decide to go with plans you might do the same or actually use a hung door.  Either way, your greenhouse will keep you gardening year round.

You can use polycarbonate or polyethylene plastic for any or all the greenhouse covering.  Some people use it for both the walls and roof while others use aluminum sheets for the roof.  Usually kits will use an aluminum frame while construction using plans would use a wooden frame.

Grow Year Round With A Portable Backyard Greenhouse

The benefits of a backyard greenhouse couldn't be easier to see.  You will be able to grow year-round, protecting your plants in the winter, being able to grow your own seedlings.  In summer you can give a stable environment for the plants, and in fall you can continue even though the days have begun to grow shorter and the nights get colder.

Portable greenhouses are inexpensive compared to a permanent structure.  These flexible greenhouses can also be fitted into the smallest backyards.  And you know, there are even portable greenhouses as big as 50 by 100 feet.  They are portable because they are assembled quickly by 2 people and easily moved with partial dis-assembly.  These larger portable greenhouses are mostly used commercially because the 8x10' and smaller are usually bought by backyard greenhouse enthusiasts. 

I invite you to have a look at some great greenhouse plans and information, visit http://buildagreenhouse.org and discover plans and ideas to build the greenhouse you've been dreaming about. Build a greenhouse!