Well! Dreams have become reality around here! In the midst of my ongoing health issues I’ve managed (with my dad’s help!) to get my greenhouse up and running.  Honestly, everything about it is more than I could have imagined.  I’m loving spending my time planting, water, and watching things grow!

I thought I’d share some progress pictures and share how things are going.  Although having a greenhouse makes growing food in colder weather easier, it’s also a little bit more work and complicated.  Temperature control has been a learning point from the start and I haven’t nailed it down yet but I think I’m doing pretty well so far!

Without further ado…..

   
  I knew my dad was coming to visit the first week in April so I wanted to get the base of the greenhouse layed out.  It was a bit of a trick to get him to help me, I was almost positive he wouldn’t be able to look at it while he was here without doing some of the work.  My plan worked!  He started by just securing up the floor – putting the plywood to the pallets and then we levelled it.  Thankfully it was the exact measurement of the greenhouse! 

    
 I worked nights Friday and Saturday, when I came home Sunday morning it was gorgeous outside and I couldn’t resist attempting to put up the greenhouse.  I was silly enough to think that I might be able to accomplish it alone.  In the end it took my dad and I (and an hour of my husbands help) 10 hours of work! That wasn’t even completely finished, the next day I did another hour or so putting the inside reinforcements up.  It was all worth it! 

   
  I decided to put a coat of black paint on the floor to spruce it up a bit and for a tiny bit of heat absorption.  I went to Ikea and bought some shelves and a cheap desk to act as a potting bench.  I went to Canadian Tire and got a cheap portable heater (one that is safe for in bathrooms and high humidity areas) and a cheap table fan.  I also bought two large black garbage cans to fill with water and act as a thermal heating source.  Right now it’s still getting too cold at night for them to do a lot but in a few weeks it should do some more of the heating.  I placed them on top of some sidewalk bricks I had laying around for extra heat absorption. The water in them gets quite warm actually, I was impressed. 

After it was all set up I went to work moving out the plants, repotting and planting more seeds! 

That old metal mailbox is an antique heirloom passed down to me from my dad.  It was bought in 1908 and has been in our family ever since, it was sitting in my shed for over a year just waiting for the perfect opportunity and I’m so happy to have it in the greenhouse! 

  
These were the tomatoes pre-potted. 
  

  
This is the extent of what I have so far that has been potted, there’s still so many seeds being started and 4 containers that have been planted.  
  

One afternoon I set up this potting station for Ezekiel to plant his own box.  He really loved the activity and is enjoying watching all the plants grow. 

Here’s some close ups of some of what is growing. 

   
    
    
    
    
   
And here’s the task lists and running inventory.  I’m going wild planting everything with full knowledge that I will have much more than I can plant and so I will likely have to sell or give some away. I just can’t help myself! 

   
 
This post has become extremely long! Next time I’ll write a bit about what I’m learning – things that are working and things I might change up. 

Cheers friends and happy growing!