I think many garden lovers, especially those in climates with a full four seasons, fantasize about starting tomatoes in February, getting a head start on growing annual patio pots, and overwintering lemon trees. Building a greenhouse was at the top of my yard to do list when we purchased our home three years ago.  It got bumped down the list a bit in favor of things like laying new sod, building a fence, and purchasing plants to serve as the foundation of our landscape.  But last spring we looked at our to do list and found greenhouse construction right up at the top. My first choice, a custom glasshouse imported for England for a mere $17,000 was more than a bit out of reach.  As I researched different companies and kits I found that for my price range, if I wanted something beautiful it would have to be tiny, and if I wanted something with enough space it would be plain and ugly. I decided for the most price friendly greenhouse for its size, the Harbor Frieght 10’ X 12’.

Making the decision to purchase this greenhouse meant factoring in a bunch of greenhouse improvements to our budget. As silly as it may sound, having a greenhouse that was equal in beauty and function was the goal.  I knew my greenhouse would serve as another outdoor room in my garden, and I wanted it to be an escape.

I’d read plenty of negative reviews for this greenhouse.  I was aware that the aluminum frame would need some sturdying up, and that the panels would require some work to keep them from blowing out in windstorms. However I felt that for the price, around $500 after a sale + coupon, I could make it work perfectly for our space.

Major Upgrades We Knew We’d Want

• electrical
• ventilation
• automated watering/humidity control
• benches and storage for plants
• potting/work area with a sink

The Eletrical

We were able to add a light fixture and two outlets to the greenhouse. Sometimes I’ll go out in the greenhouse after the girls have gone to bed, flip on the light and do some transplanting. The outlets are a means for us to use the ventilation system we came up with, as well as plug in our seed heating mats or space heaters if we have a chilly night in late spring.  The metal conduit through which we ran wires for our ceiling light help add stability to the aluminum frame.

Ventilation

The greenhouse came with four of the roof panels opening as vents.  Greenhouse ventilation is important because temperatures in the greenhouse far exceed the outside temperatures during the summer months due to the warm air that gets trapped inside. Although having these events open would allow for some air movement, in order to keep the temperature at a more hospitable range we knew we needed a more aggressive approach to air circulation. We invested in outlet  thermostat  that can be set for both a high temperature and low temperature range. We have ours set  so that at 85°, the outlet turns on the ventilation fan And outlet turns off when the temperature gets down to 80°.  This fan pulls warm air from inside the greenhouse outside, it has louvers on the exterior that only open if the fan is running. To allow for fresh air to circulate through the greenhouse we added an opening with louvers across from the ventilation fan, so that when it runs it can pull air from the outside.  During the summer months we will hear the fan turning off and on throughout the day as it works to keep the greenhouse in or acceptable temperature range of about 85°.

Automated Watering

We purchased and hooked  up  an automated misting system to ensure that our greenhouse had high enough humidity levels and didn’t simply turn into a desert.  We can tell our Mister how often to turn on and for what duration of time. During the hottest summer months I set my misting system to run every 10 minutes for 30 seconds.  That kept our humidity up and also helped lower the temperature along with our fan.

Benches

I wanted to be able to utilize as much space as possible, so my husband constructed benches to run down each side of the greenhouse, with hardware cloth for the top level, and 1″ x 3″ slats for the bottom level. The benches are 2″ wide leaving plenty of space in the center of the greenhouse for a removable island when we need extra space, or a table and chairs for our girls’ tea parties.

Potting/Work Area with Sink

This might be my favorite part of the greenhouse. Having a solid work area where I could put down seeds and divide plants was really important. I also wanted to be able to rinse my garden tools, wash my hands,  and fill up watering cans.  We found our impossibly deep cast iron sink at our local restore, and we used plywood and 2 x 4’s along with our extra hardware cloth make a mold for a concrete countertop.  The countertop supports an old, mirrored hutch that we found a secondhand store. I love having the two big mirrors reflecting the greenhouse and the rest of my garden.

Extras

One of the things we kept reading about the Harbor Freight greenhouse was that the panels would blow out in strong wind storms. Reviewers said that the clips holding the panels in work very effective, and that purchasing additional clips was a good option. Instead of adding more clips we ended up using self tapping screws  to secure each panel to the frame.

Weather is a tricky thing here in Utah.  I’ve spent sunny January afternoons short-sleeved working in my backyard and frigid days in April watching baseball games during snow flurries.  This winter has been really mild, with few snow showers and single temperature digit days.  Today as I’m writing though, we’ve a high of 25, icy winds, and about 4″ of snow with more expected tomorrow.  Feeling like we’ve gone back in time to the beginning of January isn’t what my garden loving soul needs right now.  And as eager as I was to hang up my pruning shears in October for some well deserved rest, I’m twice as eager  now to plunge my hands into some potting soil and admire budding leaves on my lilacs.

Until the weather decides to join me in my desire for spring I’ll have to settle for what little yard prep I can do indoors.  I’ve made my four page long garden to-do list (check back soon for more on early garden must do’s) but I’m ready for some green.

We’ve decided to expand our vegetable garden this year, tearing out more turf in favor of the flavors of juicy tomatoes, and home grown acorn squash.  Weather you’re looking to plant a large veggie patch, or just looking to grow a few container tomatoes on a back patio, starting your own seeds is a great idea.  There’s something about beginning a garden on my windowsill that helps me make it through March.  It can also help save money too.  Buying a seed packet for $1.50 that yields 20 zucchini plants when you’d likely pay $1.50+ for just one feels good.  Extra plants can be given as gifts to neighbors, or you can try selling them.  I had a plant “garage sale” last spring and the sale of my extra veggies funded some new string lights for the patio.

When walking through the seed section of your local home improvement store you’ll likely see accessories like expensive grow lights, fancy seeding containers, and humidomes.  Although having fancy seeding equipment won’t hurt your chances, they’re necessary.

You only need four simple ingredients for successful seed starting

1. seed starting mix
2. a container
3. water
4. light

Oh, and seeds of course.  These components don’t need to be fancy or expensive, with a good batch of seed starting mix and a trip to the dollar store you’ll have everything you need to begin your garden indoors.

Seed Starting Mix:

Do seeds germinate in regular old backyard dirt? You betcha. But to up your chances of seeding success you’ll wan’t to use a special seed starting mix.  This special mix provides the right balance of aeration with water holding capacity and sterility, which means you won’t have to battle any pests while growing juvenile plants.  Depending on the amount of seeds you’re planning on growing, a small bag purchased from your home improvement store might be enough.  If you’re planning on a starting a bunch you might want to consider purchasing the ingredients to make a big batch of your own.  Supplies are easily found at most garden centers.

Seed Starting Mix Recipe

• 1 part vermiculite
• 1 part perlite
• 1 part peat moss

Containers:

Seed starting sets will often include a clear plastic “lid”  these are called humidomes.  They basically create a mini greenhouse for your seedlings, helping increase heat and humidity.  You can create this same effect with any clear covering.  You can use take out containers, plastic wrap, basically any transparent covering will do.  I found disposable casserole dishes at the Dollar Tree that came with transparent lids about 3″ tall.  I’m also using some berry clam shells, and some to-go salad containers.  Most “official” humidomes have a flap that can be opened to let out excess moisture and let the seedlings breathe a little.  You can copy this by removing or opening the lids for a few hours a day or cutting a flap that can be opened and closed. I opted for cutting a flap that could be easily opened or closed without taking the whole lid off.

Make sure your container has drainage!  It might be necessary to poke several holes in the bottom of your container.  Tomato and berry clam shells usually have holes in the base of the container already, but if you’re using a tin container like mine, or a take out container you’ll want to make sure you make enough holes so that water can drain out.  The developing roots of your seedling can easily rot if there’s too much moisture.

Water:

Starting with moist potting mix is crucial for seedling success.  Because seeds are often small, they’re easily washed away or displaced by heavy streams of water.  I like to mist my soil and seeds with a spray bottle, the fine mist ensures they won’t be damaged.  Once my seedlings have started to grow and require more water I’ll set my container in a shallow dish filled with water and bottom water my plants.  The water will soak up into the soil through the holes in the bottom of the container.  I’ll check the soil and take the containers out of the water dish after about 10 minutes. That’s usually long enough for some good water absorption.

Light:

South or west facing windows are the optimal places for catching winter sun.  Light is one of the requirements for adequate germination, so having your seedlings as close as you can to the window is crucial.  Seedlings struggling with adequate light will become thin, spindly, and suffer from etoliation which basically means they’re trying to grow tall stems to reach as much light as possible. These tall stemmed plants are putting so much effort into vertical growth that root development and leaf production can suffer, making for weak plants.  If 5+ hours of sunlight is impossible for you, you might want to consider subsidizing with a grow light.

During sunny days I’ll check the temps in my unheated greenhouse.  It can be as much as 20 degrees warmer than outside if its a clear day.  I’ll let my seedlings spend the  day in there and bring them back inside before the sun and temperature starts to sink.

Other Considerations:

• Soak seeds prior to planting.  Infusing seeds with a straight shot of H2O can speed up their germination.  Don’t over do it, 4-8 hours is sufficient for most seeds.  Those with a harder seed coat (think peas or beans) can benefit from a longer soaking session, but don’t exceed 16 or so hours or you’ll risk rot and damage.

• Adequately label plants!  It’s easy to forget which plant is growing in which container.  If you’re growing both Roma tomatoes as well as beefsteak unlabeled plants won’t distinguish themselves for months.  To label my seedlings I picked up some toothpicks and white stickers while sourcing containers at the dollar store.

• Read instructions on seed packets!  Some plants require the seeds to be covered to certain depths for germination, others can germinate sitting right on top of the soil.

Transplanting:

•  Seeds can be transplanted into larger containers once their second set of leaves appear.  These are called their first “true leaves” and will often look different from the first round they sprouted.  The seeds  leaves that emerge out of the ground are called cotyledons.  They existed in the embryonic seed.  Once the “true leaves” start sprouting from your seedling you can gently “weed” it out of your seed starting mix and transplant into a larger container filled with regular old potting soil.
• Don’t be too hasty to fertilize after transplanting.  Wait for plants to root into their new container and continue producing new leaves.  Waiting a week or so after transplanting should be adequate.

There you have it, seed starting basics on the cheap.  Here’s to an early start to the season, and a little green in the midst of the snow.

Overwintering plants in a zone 5 greenhouse is easier said than done.  All in all we’ve had a mild winter for Utah. Much less snowfall than usual and even some warm-ish (45 degrees or more) days in December and January.  Our first winter in the greenhouse was definitely a learning experience. On non-cloudy days our greenhouse temps were lovely, often 20+ degrees more than the outside temps.  The problem becomes harnessing that heat and providing a slow, steady release during the night to ensure that our tender plants don’t freeze completely.  We lost a quite a few succulents this winter, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this little succulent had made it through.  Hopefully transplanting into some new soil, along with relocation to the sunniest spot will do it some good.

Next Year’s To Do List for Winter Greenhouse Success

• Cover greenhouse air vents with batting insulation
• Use silicone caulk to seal  up loose panels and reduce cold air infiltration
• Increase the number of black water jugs for overnight thermal mass heating
• Look into paraffin wax heaters and solar power options for space heaters

Did you love this post with my denim whale but haven’t had time to make one yourself? Problem Solved. I finally opened my Etsy store, along with my mom and my super talented sister.  We’ve posted a couple of our whales for sale, each as beautifully unique as the up-cycled jeans they were created from.

Check out our store here

I’ve always loved classic rock and roll.  There’s something about a little Marshall Tucker Band or some Steely Dan that’s just good for the soul.  But lately my Pandora station is set to Toddler Dance Radio more often than The Eagles and I listen to a lot more “Head, Knees and Toes” than I do Boston hits. But yesterday my sister stopped by and reminded me of a little Earth, Wind and Fire.  The lyrics to “September” are as much poetry as anything written by Longfellow, and defintely worth a little space on my wall as some seasonal decor. You can download  an 8 x 10 printable page here.

I should know better, I really should.  But sometimes a girl can’t help it and she needs to get out and play in the dirt.  Despite the 38 degree temperatures and the promise of snow in the 4 day forecast.  The sun started shining, breaking through the clouds and the gray inversion choking our little valley along the Wasatch mountain range and I couldn’t help but grab my pruners and head outside.

It was a little optimistic, I know, to be outside in January.  So I told myself I was just doing a garden inventory and beginning some spring cleanup a little early.  Honestly, the little bit of sun felt like heaven and walking around my yard touching brittle winter branches and considering this year’s planting plans was more than a breath of fresh air.  I began clipping back some spent salvia stems when I came across this…….

That’s new growth! Tender little leaves peaking out from the frozen ground, beginning their stretch towards sunlight.  In that moment I felt completely justified in my optimism and I began cutting back with more vigor, searching for more signs of spring.

My shasta daisies had begin peeking through the soil as well.

I also found a little patch of larkspur that had taken upon themselves to begin sprouting. I’m so proud of those little guys.

Mid-January yardwork continued until the sun was too low {only 5:30} and the shadows made it impossible to remain outside.  I returned back inside with a new hope that snow and icy winds couldn’t continue forever, and that soon I’d be outside again, pulling weeds and deadheading in the sunshine.

There are soooooo many reasons why it’s a great idea to leave your perennial pruning until spring.  In the past I’d been a fan of the fall cleanup, cutting back all my perennials while I removed leaves and tore out my tomatoes. It just seemed like the tidy thing to do. But this fall changed all that.  Some severe morning sickness with my second pregnancy ensured that fall yard work would be kept to a minimum.  Over the past few months though I’ve been surprised to find how much I enjoyed having a little winter structure in my yard.  Seriously, I never knew what I was missing by cutting my perennial stems in the fall.

The seed heads of my rudbeckias and coneflowers added unique architecture to my yard in the snowy months that followed.  My Russian sage’s pale stems turned a silvery white and appeared majestic as they supported snow.  but I think my favorite winter surprise was my maiden grass.  The arching blades and seed heads added beautiful texture, working with the backdrop of my red brick and dark evergreen photinias to create awesome winter interest for what could have been a boring front yard.

In addition to visual interest, leaving perennial stems until spring pruning has environmental pluses too.  Seed heads remain available for birds to eat all winter, and stems provide a haven for insects during cold winter months.  Plus it gives us gardeners some early spring work to look forward too.  And lets not forget that leaving seedheads untouched allows the seeds to mature and disperse upping your chances for volunteers seedlings popping up.

Leave you’re perennials around until spring and you’ll have a reason to put on a jacket, grab a pair of pruners, and trim back your stems to find the very first signs of spring.  There isn’t a better way to start off the new year

It’s January!  Christmas season is officially over, and although I there’s a part of me that feels some sadness at taking down the tree and un-hanging the stockings a bigger part of me gets crazy happy and excited.  The new year brings promise of a fresh beginning and with it longer days and {ever-so-slowly} increasing temperatures.  Along with a list of new year’s resolutions I begin my new year’s garden list.  Although I’d love to hurry spring along, I’ve lived in icy, unpredictable Utah long enough that January and February require a gardener’s patience.

I’ll spend the next two months doing my yard inventory, and try to whittle down my garden to do list to a few of my most important projects.  Sometime in the next couple of weeks I’ll start sewing some of my seeds indoors and I’ll wait, looking out the window for the first rays of spring sunshine.  In the mean time, it’s just me, my lists, and an open tab on Pinterest looking for more and more garden inspiration.

One of the projects I’m anticipating most is starting some perennial seeds.  Although I love the vibrant color and aggressive blooming of annuals for things like window boxes and patio pots, I’ll always skip those in my flower beds.  I prefer to fill my borders with resilient little bloomers that will reseed, spread, and return year after year.  Gardening on 1/3 an acre with a shoestring budget requires even more patience than waiting out a slow January and February.  Instead of filling my basket with perennials this spring, I’m going to save my nursery dollars for larger trees, shrubs, and {crossing my fingers} an arbor.  So I’m planning out a seed starting schedule.  I’ve got some potting soil, heating mats, and a sunny south facing window all ready to go.  My first round of seed starting will include a set of herbs, not for my vegetable garden, but for my flower beds.  These herbs are fighters, they’ll withstand the hot sun, a little bit of drought, and they’ll add an awesome variance of texture to my flower beds.  Here’s the top four herbs on my list…..

Tri Color Sage

Amazing texture right?  This version of the usually dusty-green foliage plant is has leaves rimmed in white, and new growth emerges pinkish purple.  Since it only gets about 12-16″ tall, it’ts perfect for the front of plant borders.
 Lemon Thyme

I’m planting this beauty along the edges of my walkways and in between my stepping stones.  It’s low growing, spreading habit makes it a perfect ground cover, with the added bonus of when it’s bumped or stepped on it releases a delicious lemony fragrance.

Chives

I’m still trying to decide the exact direction I’m taking my garden.  With so many ideas running around my designer’s head it’s hard to narrow my theme down.  I’m all for eclectic, but I think a formal french, English cottage, Moorish, drought resistant yard might be a little too diverse.  So while I’m still in the decision making process, I’m at least trying to stick with a color scheme.  I’ve got lots of purple and blue hues, so I’ll add variance with a little texture this year.  The grassy leaves and round firework like blossoms of chives will give perfect contrast peeking out from between my salvias and jupiter’s beards.

Feverfew

I’ve been in love with feverfew ever since it began spreading in my mom’s garden a few years ago.  The tiny, daisy flowers add whimsy to a landscape, which I believe is a necessary component.  One of the best attributes of this dainty herb is the second round of blooms you can get if you chop them back about 8″ after their first blossoming.  Did I mention they can spread like crazy?  A bonus for any gardener looking to fill up space on a budget.

I am so excited to share this tutorial today!  Christmas is right around the corner and I’ve been working on a few homemade presents for my little 19 moth old girl.  We spend a lot of time in the kitchen together and she can play for the entire duration of our dinner prep with my measuring  cups and mixing spoons.  When I stumbled upon a wooden mini kitchen at a second hand store last month I knew it would be the perfect project to refinish and give her for Christmas.

A play kitchen can’t be complete without mini pots, pans, utensils, and of course play food!  I started searching around on the internet earlier this month and completely fell in love with all of the Melissa & Doug brand wooden fruits and veggies, I think they look classy and I’d thought they’d make a good fit with the rustic/vintage look of her kitchen.  However, I wasn’t ready to spend $25 for just a few pieces.  I looked up “diy play food” on Pinterest and found a ton of tutorials for felt food, which inspired this fabric food project.  So here we go…..

For this project you’ll need:

• Citrasolv.  This is an all-natural cleaning product that I found at Whole Foods.  I’ve also seen it in the cleaning section of my local grocery store.  If all else fails there’s always ordering online.
• Vintage Food Image, you can download here. In order to transfer, you’ll need to print with a toner based printer.  Since I have an ink jet at home, I ran to a copy center and printed it there for a couple of cents.  If you want your food to be double sided, print two copies. Images courtesy of the Graphics Fairy
• Scissors
• Cotton balls or Q-tips
• Spoon
• White or cream colored fabric for transfers
• Cotton
• Needle and thread/sewing machine

Image Transfer Process

1. Cut around each veggie/fruit and place it ink side down on the fabric
2. Apply Citrasolv to a Q-tip or cotton ball and rub the back of the image, the picture should be easily visible once the Citrasolv is applied
3. Grab a spoon, and using the flat side, rub the image
4. The paper may begin to rub away and that’s OK.  The ink is transferring to the fabric below.
5. Rub the entire image. Don’t be tempted to remove the paper to check you progress, lining the picture back up exactly where you left off can be tricky.
6. Remove the paper and marvel and the beautiful image transfer you just completed!

Repeat this transfer method for each of the pieces.  If your’e doing a double sided veggies you’ll need two of each. And if you’re going to do all of them at once you’ll definitely need a helper.  The rubbing part of the transfer cramps up your wrist.

Next, trim around the edge of each set, making sure that there’s an inch or so between the edge of the veggie and the edge of the fabric. Next, place the inked sides together, matching up the edges of the fruit as close as possible.  Sew around the fabric, about 1/4″ from the colored veggie edge, leaving a 1″ opening.  Pull the fabric right side out through the 1″ opening and fill with fluffy cotton to your desired plush-ness.  And finally, tuck the edges of the opening into the center and sew along the opening.  

TA-DA!!! All finished.  Now all that’s left is to wrap them and stick them under the tree.  I’m thinking I’ll add some fabric bread, muffins, and eggs to her fabric food set. Hope you enjoy the tutorial