For the avid gardener greenhouses are a must for any backyard. Greenhouses allow you the opportunity to keep flowers and vegetables fresh through the year. Your choices of greenhouse rate from plans you can build yourself to glass and aluminum frames models. For the casual backyard gardener an 8' x 10' size is plenty to keep you in flowers and vegetables.

You can bring the outdoors inside and enjoy it all winter long. There are so many more choices of plant varieties when you have a greenhouse to protect them year round. Some of my favorites are tropical fruit trees and vines such as citrus trees, a banana tree, an olive tree and kiwi vine. Buying a greenhouse does not have to burn a hole in your pocket. There are many kits you can build yourself. A hobby greenhouse has four walls, a peaked roof and door to allow easy entry. There are many shapes and sizes. The rectangle greenhouse maximizes usable space for growing tables and hangers. There are greenhouses that lean up nest to house or a building that faces the south for full solar exposure.

Being a frugal gardener I save seeds from spring and summer plantings to plant in late fall in the greenhouse. Growing large numbers of plants will often leave me with a shortage of pots and containers. Any plastic container that is food grade when holes are punched in the bottom will make a growing pot. Some of my favorites are milk jugs, juices bottles, 2 liter pop bottles all cut in half. In the spring it is easy to pick up discarded black nursery planters on the side of the street. Feel free to experiment with different varieties of seeds and plants. Fresh lettuce, carrots, spinach from the greenhouse brightens any winter meal.

Lightly watering seeds when first planted is important. Floating seeds quickly mold. For the serious gardener misting systems are a must. There are several you can build yourself that will save you money. But first starting out even a bottle mister will work. It will take more time to water your plants but the rewards of beautiful plants are more than worth it.

You can grow plants in a greenhouse that you only imagined with regular flowerbeds. Scented begonias and geraniums become possible all year long. Nothing wipes away the doldrums of winter quicker than being able to work in a nice warm environment with the smell of soil and the sight of bright blooms. You could have your own tropical paradise in the middle of winter snows.