I am curious to see what others thoughts are on converting my walk in garden to a greenhouse. Ideally the perimeter fence would stay and the greenhouse would sit inside, covering edge to edge. Current fenced in area is 20’x20’. I’d like the greenhouse to have either 8’ or 10’ walls, and a rather steep pitched roof (potentially matching the pitch of the trellis).
How do you think it will look?
Would it look odd with the fence around the border?
Will I need to pour concrete over the pea gravel to seal it enough to keep out the bugs and cold temperatures?
This is why I want to convert it into a greenhouse. Are these reasons realistic to achieve? I realize that at least two of the current beds would need to be replaced with a work surface or something similar to diversify the growing space. I won’t be growing corn again. Space behind the greenhouse would be used for storage/yard.
- Keep vegetables bug free
- Keep large potted tropicals inside during winter (zone 7)
- Grow starter plants from cuttings/seed outside of the growing months
Please ignore the current mess/weeds in the beds.
by Ok-Championship-823
7 Comments
It might look a little odd with the fence on the outside, but you could modify the color to make it blend better with the walls you choose to use. The biggest issue I see is the existing fence likely isn’t capable of supporting the structure in the event of a storm / gale.
Your garden looks great, well maintained, and the greenhouse could really serve as a centerpiece to an expanding garden.
Looks great
I think it will make a great greenhouse! The layout is there and having the fence stay gives you a great framework for the greenhouse and could add some extra protection. You definitely don’t have to pour concrete, lots of folks do just fine with compacted gravel or even pave.
As for bugs and cold, just make sure to seal the bottom edge well and maybe invest in some weatherstripping or a baseboard system. Your goals sound spot on for a greenhouse, especially for tropicals in zone 7. Just make sure to ventilate well and you’ll love it.
It’s definitely doable and good aesthetics, but that is quite the job/expense. How close to the fence are you wanting to build? Realistically you may have to remove it and put it back afterwards.
You’ve got so much room! Why not keep the garden, and build the greenhouse nearby?
Do you have a plan for heating? The greenhouse will be at (or very near) ambient temperature as soon as the sun goes down.
I’m in Zone 6b/7a, and it’s still a decent task to heat my 6×8 greenhouse to a minimum of 40F. Keeping tropicals alive in something much larger will be pricey.
I don’t know where you are located, but if snow is a factor, you must consider snow load. If not snow, then consider wind load as well. My greenhouse originally had a pea gravel floor, but it was difficult to walk on or get plants level, so we replaced it with thick concrete pavers. They act as a heat sink, so that’s good. Make sure you have power and water for the greenhouse – you will need powered venting and maybe heat depending on your climate.