How to Build a Greenhouse

After he ran to the hardware store, and did many intricate measurements, after cutting up a good many pieces of wood and hefting the 2"x6" (by 16'!) home-sawed lumber into the chicken pen all by himself, Phil was ready to start building the greenhouse. It was about noon.

He had purchased plywood, wedged it into the truck bed, and bolted the hoop bender to it (see above).

We laid out the wood base. Due to time and bother, we opted to square the base but NOT to level the land or raise the base to level.

Next, he pounded 33" pipe lengths into the ground with a heavy mallet. Above you can see before and after, to get a sense of how far in those posts had to go. He's a strong man.

He had purchased chain link fencing tubing (available at most hardware stores), and, just with his arms, bent the tubing, using the bender as a guide.

Then we screwed together the two pieces together at the top (I did that job a couple of times! I've never screwed into metal before: it takes patience to break through, and then it goes quickly). We put up the first hoop.

And soon all of them, spaced every four feet. (Total dimensions: 16'x10', with the hoops about 8' high at the center.)

Next we needed to brace the top, and I think Phil hit a wall of dehydration and fatigue, so we took a break. Then I worked indoors, and he put up cross-bracing between the supports.

I came out again to help and we covered the greenhouse with the greenhouse film (very thick plastic) and nailed it down in places. Even the film was an education: I bought 20' wide film, but wasn't sure how easily it would tear or how much we would need. I bought 40', and we probably would have been fine with 33'. However, knowing my inability to wrap Christmas presents well (always too much or too little wrapping paper), I think it is good to be on the safe side.

We have yet to put down weed barrier in the bottom, and Phil needs to make tables for the grow mats. Also, we need a better door than simply pulling up the film, but I think that is amazing progress for a single day. We have a covered space, ethereal inside, where Phil can make tables, even if the weather outside is frightful. I actually like the space so much, I was standing there, doing nothing and Phil said, "What's wrong? You never just stand still!" It's just amazing to have a little structure, boom, start to (almost) finish in a day.

Total cost: about $400 for metal materials, $100 for the film, and $100 for the (reusable) hoop bender. Not bad for 160 square feet of space. Too bad a house doesn't just cost $3.75/sqft!

A friend at church mentioned that her slogan for photography is creative photography for creative people. My sister is the artist of the family, and I am not, and, on hearing her slogan, I mentally thought, "This is not ever going to be a good photographer for me. I am just not creative."

It wasn't until I got home that I thought, "Wait a minute! I'm creating a farm from NOTHING. I AM creative, just not artistically so." It was a relief.

It also inspired me to take some animals photos. I haven't done that for a while.

Our Conduiramour (love-bringer, roughly translated from the French), or Connie, with an eye patch.

Capri, with dalmatian spots.

Fool rooster Strangey, who attacked Phil's back today while Phil was using the reciprocating saw. Phil and he had a stand-off. Then Phil went back to work and I stood guard. Strangey wandered off.

Home hatched rooster and chicken Chanticleer and Pertelote (from Chaucer's famous Nun's Priest's Tale). The baby rooster and Strangey never fight. I think Strangey has enough to manage with the 24 or so hens in his harem. He can allow Chanticleer his one lady. The two often wander around the farm together, but always fly back into the pen. So far, they haven't wandered into the barn. Thus, they are yet living.

Our guineas, in a very common pattern: four inside the fence, and one outside. "Squawk! Squwak! How can we possibly reunite? Let's all run along the fence, back and forth, hoping that somehow we might reach blissful reunion!" Guineas are not very smart, and are VERY loud, but I have grown to appreciate them. I trust they will be good bug catchers in our market garden.

And, finally, Tux, with iridescent feathers.