Can we tour your greenhouse?

Very nice set up. We have a passive solar home with an active solar hot water system. The hot water system has been down for repairs for a while now but we would like to get it back up again and also look into a photovoltaic system for the electric. I too would love to hear more about your system and how it is working.

My new greenhouse arrived today. I went the same route as mjsponies opting for the pre-manufactured Lark model since I already own a 12x36 storage building manufactured by Lark and have been very pleased with the construction. My greenhouse 12X8 and I opted to skip the flooring option since I'm not sure if I want a floor or not yet. The best part with the Lark is the same as cash/interest free financing for one year. I love using other people's money instead of mine!

As the temps drop into the low 30's tonight here in N. Florida my living room "finally" doesn't look like a nursery for once, not that I think there is anything wrong with that ;). Most everything is snug in the greenhouse tonight.

jhowdy,
I think you'll be very happy with the Lark. Great construction, with all the basic,( and in my opinion PIA things done for you, electric etc). And you can customize, add shelves etc. We're putting a planter by the doors, and I'm going to build a little "patio" by the front, plantings all around the outside. I love it !

jhowdy, How nice, those look like really nice GH's.

Really nice! I don't remember if anyone mentioned the cost? How cool is it that they arrive just like that, no installation needed!

mjsponies,
I like the ideas you plan for your greenhouse. My is facing my butterfly garden, 14 bird feeders/feeding platforms and three birdbaths I maintain in that corner of my yard. It's my little Utopia! Here is a pic of a visitor that stopped by to check-out my new GH. First time I have ever seen an Oriole in my yard or in "person" for that matter. Took a quick bath and hung around for 10 minutes and was gone.

lakesidecallas,
The price is dependent on the size and options one selects. As an example mine came standard pre-wired with one center light fixture, one double outlet and switch (waterproof) and metal frames shelf around 3 walls with plywood tops. For my 8 x 12 delivered and set-up I paid $1800 + tax. A 8 X10 is $1600 and a 12 X 16 was $2400 at the dealer I traded with. With the no down payment, 0 interest option for 1 year, I couldn't build one as cheap using the metal gauge framing. Also, these are legally portable building (+ no permits needed in my area) so I can move it anywhere I need it in the future. It is built on 2 large runners so it can be rolled or loaded on a trailer and moved. It actually can be repositioned summer/winter if you really wanted to maximize/reduce your sun exposure. Other than making accommodations for any permanent water and electrical connections there is not much to moving it.

thanks, jhowdy, seems to be well worth the price! That's great that it can be easily moved, the only GH I've heard or seen that can be moved like that.

lakesidecallas,
I think Lark builders had a great idea. They build sheds. They took their shed frame, and built a greenhouse on it. That's why they have such great wind resistance. There's lots of options,
here's their website.....

Where? LOL!!!

I was just sitting here thinking if I had my Greenhouse up I would have a good 3ft or more of snow piled up around the sides with snow comming off the roof and drifts I could see it being a lot higher than 3ft. Wouldn't my "Dream" Tropical Garden look great with a wall of snow behind it? Holly

This message was edited Feb 10, 2010 12:18 PM

lakesidecallas, if your interested, Goggle lark builders or click below.

http://www.larkbuilders.com/models.html

This message was edited Feb 10, 2010 11:55 AM

Holly, that does not sound pretty!

Hap

opps, it was a blonde gray moment.....

http://www.larkbuilders.com

WE ARE ALWAYS BLOND!!!

haha....yeah, at least now I can blame it partly on getting older...so the blond/gray...before it was just blond.

Oh the snow is beautiful. Very inconvenient and down right dangerous but beautiful. I have an old pic somewhere in my files of my Bougainvillea in flower with a snowcovered yard in the background.

Thanks for the link!
No dealers close to me, unfortunately.

haha...well, it's not empty anymore !!!!
filled up and I still have plants in the house and the barn !

That is so pretty!

Looks great mjsponies. Everything in mine is still under wraps...sub 30's for the rest of the week up this way.

That really does look nice.

jhowdy, yup, I'm over it with the cold. I want Florida back ! Hard frosts light freeze last couple of mornings again. Finally this weekend we're supposed to have overnight temps above the 30's. I've got new growth peeking out of a lot of stuff, so went around with a bunch of mulch an made little mounds that I can pull back or push up around the base of plants depending on the temps.
Everything in the greenhouse seems really happy tho, and Datura's Salvia's , Purple Firespike are starting to bloom.( I think the firespike is confused not supposed to bloom yet) We can keep it at around 50 at night with the heater and a clip on circulating fan moves the warm air around.

That's it....never thought of it before, (or had to). I'll put a greenhouse over my whole yard. That'll do it. Thanks for this thread. Now, any suggestions where I can get a million dollars for the GH and upkeep?

Hap

buy lot's of lottery tickets ???????, then share with me. ;-)

But, heard a wild story that you had to buy tickets to win. Tickets are bought about once a year here. That seriously reduces a chance of win, wouldn't you say?

Wife told her husband, "If we win the lotto I'm going to leave."
Husband buys a ticket and wins $6, comes home, hands his wife $3 and says GOOD BY ^^_^^

ROTFLMBO!!!!

LOL!
LOVE IT!

Ric

LOL, That is good.
Happy, My daughter just got back from Ft. Lauderdale. She had the nicest getaway. Don't think it was quite the tropical getaway what they were expecting when they made arrangements months ago but they really had a good time. I was to pick her up at the airport and she called and said don't bother coming to get us we are staying. LOL
Yes, We too do the occasional ticket buy it does reduce your chances but it only takes one ticket to win. Holly

Yes, Holly, no matter how cold or stormy, it beats Rochester, NY where I am from. (Except for the hurricanes)

Hap

Went out to my GH this AM to start more seeds, peppers.
Now and hen I hear the sound of snow sliding off the roof, but out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement.
WOOO do I have a varment in here ? Well I sat still for a minute and then saw this...
Well I have no idea how he got in, I guess he drinks water from the trays I have the plants sitting in.
I ground up some rabbit pellets for him, don't know what he eats.
Can any one ID this bird ? Sparrow, Chickadee ?

Found out it's a Carolina Wren

I was thinking wren from the shape, fairly young one from the coloring.

What a cutie. One of my favorites. You can always tell wrens by the way they hold their tail up. Poor little thing.

Mjsponies, your greenhouse looks great!

awwww, rentman, buy her a bag of wild bird seed !

I let her out yesterday, she was flying around the top of the GH so I opened 2 of the vent windows and she was out.
Still don't know how it got in but she was not real frighten of me. She was very inquisitive, checking out every little place. Wrins are mainly insects eaters so maybe she was after the few ants and nats.
I must clean the Pooo she put on my chair and a few other places, not a big price to pay for the experience.

Cute!
Since they eat insects and spiders it might be a nice one to have over for weekend visits.
They don't do well w/ cold and used to be rare this far north.

I think I know how he got in. I cut a hole through a concrete brick wall to run the drain from the sink, well the hole, at the bottom is much larger than it need to be, I plugged it with a plastic bag but I think I will remove the bag and see if he comes back. Hope he does not bring a lot of friends with him. ^^_^^

OH.....what a wonderful bird house this is....... I'm going to tell all my friends....

COME ON, GANG!!!!!