In 2002 we put in a 12x24 greenhouse from www.hobbygardens.com. It took about two days to put up and there it was. How lovely to get in there early in the morning and it was already getting warm and bright.

I started going out there each morning to have a cup of peppermint honey tea as I started planting the seed flats. What a thrill to watch hundreds of seedlings come forth from such tiny inauspicious seeds. 

I did have a problem with mice nibbling the most expensive seedlings but learned to seal up the greenhouse better.

See the big gold and black garden spider, "Boris" lives here and with many tree frogs and a chameleon "Sidney" from Florida that help with the bugs.

The greenhouse is filled with 80 or so 10x20 flats. I invented "undertrays" that hold 5 trays. Instead of hand watering or sprinkling from overhead, you just let water drippers fill them up twice a day with warm nutrient water then drain all in a tub. No wasted water.

As the seedlings got bigger I put them into WalMart styro cups 50 for 77c. Other plants are put on outdoor shelving. People came by all the time to buy my healthy perennials and exotic plants for $1.00 - $3.00 each. This year I will send out plants by mail and from Ebay. What fun!

This year we will add a simple, cheap and effective hydroponics system with grow tubes and big pots on auto drip. 

We have found that you can keep tomatoes, peppers, squash and melons in the greenhouse all summer as long as you keep them well watered and the air moist. Don't let it sit empty! Just harvest early in the morning before it gets hot.

The greenhouse also has a foldout couch and reading light, waterfall, aquariums, stereo/CD and phone jack.

It will be heated with a thermostatically controlled natural gas water heater with hot water pipes flowing under the benches. A straight unvented heater add too much fumes and harms the plants.

We get free gas from on site gas wells as do many people here in WV.

This greenhouse isn't just to grow plants. It is a special nurturing place for me to grow new seeds, to plan or to just have quiet time. During big storms it is a fabulous place. To be safe and warm when all Hell breaks lose from the sky with torrents of rain, thunder and lightning trying to scare us into a cave.

These are the baby chicks that were raised in the warm greenhouse. I used a ordinary cardboard box with a foil covered 15 watt 12v bulb RV ceiling light connected to a 12v battery. I covered the box with a old towel. I put a thermometer probe inside to keep an eye on the temperature. There was wood shaving on the floor. Outside I had water and food. As they grew I had to put up some chicken wire to keep them in. Every chick survived and thrived. A very cheap and usable chick incubator.

THE FEATURES OF THEIR FILM

*Anti-condensation is a special additive package helping to keep condensation from dribbling by causing moisture to flow down the side of the greenhouse, where it won't affect plants. Bottom line: you'll get healthier looking plants with less stress.

* More UV protection means longer film life because it blocks harmful UV rays that can damage plastic... and your crop

* Optimum light transmission - lets more direct growing light in, while keeping harmful UV rays out (allows less than 1% of UV light transmission)

* Special resins keep it flexible in cold weather, yet stable under hot conditions

* Stays cleaner - attracts less dust, washes off easily.

Pictures of how others did their similar greenhouse

www.hobbygardens.com.