Hothouse gardening uses basic scientific principals to produce spectacular results. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers grown in hothouses are every bit as large and healthy as those grown in a traditional garden, but they can be grown during colder months and survive fluctuating temperatures and water levels without difficulty.  Read more...

Designing a custom watering system for your greenhouse is never an easy task. There are so many different types to choose from depending on what you are planning to grow. The first thing to decide on, of course, is what types of plants you are planning to nurture, because the type of watering system you will ultimately need is greatly determined by the types of plants most often grown in your greenhouse. For example, tropical plants require more water and often grow best with a misting delivery system. Ask yourself if the plants you are growing will grow best with a drip irrigation system, a misting system or even a running water system. Each system has it’s own unique features and setup that help you achieve the perfect balance of water to your greenhouse, and keeps from wasting water.  Read more...

Late March Planting = June and July Harvesting

I am not a sophisticated vegetable gardener. My growing expertise focuses on perennials, shrubs and trees. Vegetable and fruit gardening needs to be simple for me to enjoy. If you want to be successful in growing your own crops, I recommend starting off with radishes, swiss chard, and snap peas.  The seeds are large, easy to handle and have a high success rate.  I find it fun to get the family involved and a great way to encourage future generations to get bit by the gardening bug…  Read more...

Since greenhouse plants lack the natural benefits of uninhibited sun, soil, and rain, special fertilizers and foods for greenhouse plants are necessary for successful greenhouse crops. Outside plants obtain nutrients from the soil, but greenhouse crops are generally planted in sterilized soil to help control bacteria growth and insect infestations. This removes essential nutrients from the soil. In addition, planting in containers isolates plants and prohibits the transfer of nutrients from nearby soil during heavy rains.  Read more...

It’s that time of year to begin transplanting your starts from the greenhouse. Greenhouses are great for getting an early jump on the spring growing season, but transplanting all those little seedlings can be a challenge. To help make spring planting easier, here are a few tips for novice and seasoned greenhouse gardeners alike.  Read more...

High Tailing It to Fun
Who said the economy is hurting? Friday morning vendors reported a line of people waiting for the event to open.

We arrived at 11:30am and the place was already packed!  One of the things I love about summertime in the Pacific Northwest is the plethora of garden tours and festivals we have to choose from. Instead of going to the same events over and over, I try to attend a few each year I haven’t been to before.  Read more...

Tamp Dancing
I rented Martha Stewart’s Spring Gardening Series from the local video store for tips and hints on seed starting. In one segment, Dan Hinkley demonstrated how to build handmade soil tampers.  Read more...

The gable-style greenhouse is a popular greenhouse design for many reasons. Here are the 4 top advantages to having a gable greenhouse.

1. Gable Greenhouses: Aesthetically Pleasing Designs
This architectural style often correlates with other Colonial style buildings on a property, providing a continuity of visual form that is pleasing to many greenhouse gardeners and homeowners. Such an attractive flow of design adds value to a property and is readily accepted by zoned communities and picky neighbors alike.  Read more...

Starting your gardening season with the proper greenhouse gardening tools can make the experience more of a success. Specific gardening tools are made for specific tasks and can not only cut down on your gardening time, but help you yield better gardening results. Take a look at these greenhouse gardening tools you won’t want to garden without.

Cultivation Tools  Read more...

Millions of gardeners consider the winter months to be a quiet and desolate time in the greenhouse. However, there is no reason a great gardener shouldn’t enjoy the cold weather with winter crops. Even during the coldest months of the year, gardeners can plant winter crops to enjoy colorful and delicious plants. Depending on if you live in a harsh winter climate or not, you may even be able to grow a multitude of plants even without a heated greenhouse.  Read more...