The greenhouse is such a cool little hangout here on the ranch. It is made almost completely of up-cycled materials and has a lot of sentimental value.
My grandparents had saved most of the windows from old buildings around their farm and were so generous to let me use them for this project. I picked up the big front windows and glass door for the cost of a roadtrip with a friend to a town a couple of hours away. A guy was just giving them away, I couldn’t believe my luck! They were perfect.
The wood stove also came from my grandparents – an heirloom handed down from my great, great grandparents. It was so fun to hook it up and put it back to use in the winters. I love to sit out there, enjoy some coffee and read – the sun streams in and if it’s above zero outside it can be up to 70 degrees in there before I even light the stove. It is such a treat in the middle of a North Dakota winter!
I purchased concrete blocks to set a foundation for the frame to sit on so it would stay up off of the ground. We scraped a spot level (we live on a gravel/clay hill) for the foundation and then I laid the blocks. The greenhouse is approximately 14’x14′.
In order to make all of the windows fit in the wall framing, we laid out the windows on the ground and started building the frame around them. My mom came out to help build the first wall and I was on my own after that. We made it a snug fit since there was no insulation going in around them like traditional framing would have.
Once all four walls were built, my husband and I lifted them up, set them into place and screwed them together. It was an exciting day when the frame was up! My husband bent four foot pieces of rebar into anchors that we pounded in the ground to help anchor the building in the wind.
The windows were installed once the walls were up. I just used furring strips (the cheapest wood you can buy) to hold the windows in place. They aren’t completely weathertight but they are adequate for a greenhouse. Four windows on the west side and three windows on the east swing open as well as the door to provide plenty of ventilation in the hot summer.
I ordered the rafters from the local lumberyard to simplify things a bit. Thank goodness, because this was a pretty big undertaking just building walls and setting the rafters on. My husband and I hung the rafters and then it was time to enclose the sides.
I used plywood for the top two thirds and tried to make the seams line up where trim would cover it. On the bottom third, I used galvanized tin sheets. It helped to break it up a bit and provide aesthetic appeal. It took a couple afternoons to get the entire building enclosed.
For the roof, I chose clear polycarbonate roofing panels from Home Depot. They were super easy to install and lightweight. Our friend Ben happened to stop by and we put him to work helping install the roofing panels. He loved it of course!
I made soffits for under the eaves out of plywood, then installed trim around all the windows, door, and fascia boards along the roof.
Next, it was time to paint. So. Much. Painting. I’m not sure I’ll ever paint again after this project. The outside walls, windows, door and trim got a coat of primer, then two coats of exterior paint. The inside walls got a coat of paint as well, but only one because I was pretty burnt out on painting by the time I got the outside done.
Finally I was on to the most exciting part! The wood stove! I spent ALOT of time searching for a stove pipe connector that was the shape of the outlet on the top of the stove. I couldn’t find anything even close to what I needed. I finally went with a round single wall pipe that measured the same circumference as the oval shape I needed. We shaped it by hand and pounded it on to fit the oval outlet.
After that, connecting the rest of the stove pipe and the chimney went pretty smoothly. I took a quick ride in the payloader bucket to get the chimney attached on top of the roof and it was finally done! The wooden backdrop behind the stove is made of old flooring that was taken out of an old house, also from my grandparent’s farm.
I added rock to the floor on top of the landscape fabric and started decorating. First up was installing a hammock and some shelves for my plants. An old coffee table that I had picked up at a flea market became a bench. I brought some blankets and throw pillows out to make it comfortable and cozy.
The greenhouse has gotten lots of use housing seedlings each spring, tons of tomatoes and peppers in containers, and various other plants. It is also a favorite winter hangout for a much needed dose of vitamin D. Last spring, we hosted ‘Willybob‘s Farm Fresh Market Morning’. It was a little family get together in the greenhouse where they picked up seedlings for their gardens and enjoyed baked goodies.
The first spring after the greenhouse was finished, our momma cat decided to raise her kittens in there. They loved to lounge in the planters in the shade beneath the leaves. Tator Tot, Tiffany and Timmy Toes had it made in the shade!
My mom got me some monarch caterpillars for my birthday to have in the greenhouse. They formed chrysalises on milkweed leaves that we brought in and then turned into butterflies a few weeks later. It was so neat to watch the process!
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