In this episode of The Ultimate Workshop, host Jay Baker talks with some experts on greenhouses and gardening as part of a project to create the ultimate garden workshop. Included are such topics as greenhouse assembly, greenhouse features and gadgets. Also included are design ideas for creating an ideal workspace for garden-work and essential tools for taking on practically any gardening challenge.
- To design a state-of-the-art garden workshop, we started with advance planning and blueprints (figure A). Our guiding principle was to have a workshop that's big enough and versatile enough to maintain a half-acre backyard. The 848-square-foot building is standard wood-frame construction with a concrete foundation.
- Inside, the layout of the workshop is ergonomic (figure B) -- taking into consideration efficiency, safety and ease of use. It incorporates dedicated areas for power tools. Hand tools and supplies are stored in a neat, organized fashion so they're easy to locate and access.
- Specially designed "slat-walls" have slots so that tool-hangers, shelves and cabinets can easily be hung on the walls and repositioned with ease.
- The shop is equipped with a stainless-steel sink (figure C) to aid with potting and cleanup.
- A customized potting station is positioned in close proximity to both the sink and the greenhouse entrance (figure D).
- When planning the layout for the garden workshop, an 8' x 16' concrete slab ( figure E) was incorporated to accommodate a greenhouse.
- If you're going to include a greenhouse as part of your design (figure F), it's important to take into consideration how it's oriented to the sun so that the plants receive the right amount and intensity of light. A mistake in placement of your greenhouse is not one that's easily undone.
- A western exposure is not recommended for a greenhouse since it soaks up the intense, afternoon sun, and may make your greenhouse unusable during summer months. A northern exposure is never recommended since the shadow of the existing structure will fall over the greenhouse, limiting growing possibilities. We opted for an eastern exposure since we knew we wanted to grow a wide variety of plants.
- Forty to fifty percent shading density is satisfactory for most plants in temperate zones.
- Many gardeners prefer a southern exposure since it typically provides ample light in both summer and winter for sun-loving plants. Southern exposures can result in considerable heat in the summer, so you may want to consider incorporating such features as circulating fans and sun-filtering fabric.
- The 8' x 16' size we included allows for a roomy interior (figure G), and is typically a sufficient for a residential greenhouse design.
In the segment that follows, the steps in construction of the greenhouse are shown.
RESOURCES :
Ortho's All About Greenhouses
ISBN: 0897214633
Author: Ortho Books Editor
Order this title from Amazon.
Meredith Books Corp.
Website: www.meredith.com
Greenhouse
Ready-made greenhouse structure
Charley's Greenhouse and Garden
Email: service@charleysgreenhouse.com
Website: www.charleysgreenhouse.com
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