Customized Cape Cod Greenhouse
1. Which style of greenhouse best suits you?
Greenhouses come in many different designs and often customers like to customize their greenhouse to suit the style of their home. The most important decision is to determine whether a freestanding or home-attached model best suits your needs. Freestanding models allow you to select the appropriate site to maximize sunlight exposure, maximum versatility and aesthetic appeal for your landscape. Home-attached models offer convenient access to services, good use of yard space and added insulation. Choosing your aesthetic design is a fun process. The different roof slopes options, curved eave or straight eave, and optional ornamentation allows you to build the greenhouse of your dreams!
2. Which structure of greenhouse best suits your climate?
If you live in an area prone to high winds, heavy snow or the occasional hurricane, some consideration should be given to the weather tightness of the greenhouse with respect to drafts, water penetration and strength.
3. Where is the best location for your greenhouse?
Think about the angles of the sun from season to season and try to locate the greenhouse so that 6 hours of sunlight per day is available during winter months. If possible, align the longest side of your greenhouse to face south. This permits the roof to attract the most amount of sunlight during the day. For those steamy summer months, shade cloth is a great tool to bring down the temperatures inside your greenhouse.
4. What type of foundation do you want?
The most common foundations for hobby greenhouses are wood frame or concrete. Wood frames are selected for their ease of preparation and allow for long term flexibility in case the greenhouse is ever to be moved or extended. Concrete can be chosen for a more permanent site and will last for generations. All foundations must be level and square for easy installation of the greenhouse structure. Check your local building codes regarding site requirements and if a permit is required.
5. What do you want to grow in your greenhouse?
For many people, gardening is really a passion. It’s a chance to reconnect and bring something beautiful to life. Your climate and your ideal crop (is it begonias, orchids or tomatoes?) will affect the type of greenhouse and glazing that is right for you.
6. How will you heat your greenhouse?
Many gardeners choose a greenhouse because they like to garden year round. The heat requirements for your greenhouse are dependant on the type of plants you are growing, the size of your greenhouse, the greenhouse cover material and your climate zone.
The type of plants will determine whether your greenhouse is a cool, warm or hothouse. A cool house maintains a night temperature of 40 – 45 Fahrenheit (5 – 7 Celsius). A warm greenhouse requires a night temperature of 55 Fahrenheit (13 Celsius) for plants that require a warmer environment. Hothouses require a night temperature of 65 Fahrenheit (18 Celsius) for orchids or tropical plants.
There are many styles of heating units available which are powered by electricity (most common), gas and propane but remember that a prolonged power outage could be disastrous for your plants.
7. What types of greenhouse staging will you need?
Potting benches are great if they are at the appropriate height and some potting benches are collapsible to maximize space. You may find that your greenhouse is never big enough as it fills up quickly!
A utility sink is a really nice feature both as a source of water and to wash your hands and tools. There are many shelving options and workbenches on the market today to help keep your tools handy and well organized.
Gardeners who own greenhouses find it a rewarding way to extend the growing season and enjoy having somewhere to spend their time away from the phone, TV and Internet. As Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of The Yearling once said “I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to.”
The Greenhouse Gardener 