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            Our greenhouse was not planned at all. I had always wanted one but we just never had the money to build one. I would look at those PVC ones and think how easy they looked and how if I could just get some PVC. . . but it just didn�t happen. So the greenhouse was always on that list of things to do if we ever got the materials.

            Now Phil works as a roofer and we have often gotten wood and different materials that were left as trash on the jobs he does. One week the roofing company he works for picked up a side job, taking apart a deck for a woman. There wasn�t anything wrong with the deck, the woman just didn�t like it and was having a new one put in. Phil told the guys after they were done that instead of taking all the wood to the dump (which would cost them a good bit) to bring it over to our house, which they gladly did. His plan was to put new porches on our house with the wood, which he did. He also made a nice fence around my blueberry bushes so the dogs couldn�t dig in them anymore. Then one night we were talking about what to do with the leftover wood and came up with the idea of the greenhouse! Phil started on it the next day.

            He didn�t really have a plan. Most of the wood was 2�x 8� so that is what the framing was made out of. He made the four middle ribs then added the boards around the sides and two cross pieces to keep it sturdy. The greenhouse is 10�x7� and 8 foot high.

            Phil also added a nice long l-shaped bench inside to put the plants on, later we added 2 smaller shelves on each side.

            On the outside we put 6 mil plastic. We got two rolls that cost us $30. Phil made a screen door and put the lattice on the top peak of the front of the greenhouse. Behind the lattice he put more screen for ventilation.

            Later on we added a gutter down one side, with a couple elbows that run in through the plastic to a bucket inside so I can collect rainwater to water the plants with.

The last two thing that were added were pallets for a floor and the window box on outside, just to make it look pretty and our greenhouse was done.

            The first year I started all my plants for the garden. Now I have kind of gone overboard and it has a good assortment of tropical plants that will never grow outside here like bananas and citrus.

I truly enjoy having the greenhouse. It may have taken me years to get one but I have one now that only costs us about $30 so to me it was worth the wait.

                                                        Rebecca Whitford