4 Backyard Greenhouse Ideas to Upgrade Your Outdoor Space
Skip that trip to the botanical garden and create a charming DIY backyard greenhouse.
Give your plants a home of their own. Backyard greenhouses are popping up all over, turning gardens into charming, fairytale destinations. They're like playhouses for adults, where it's easy to lose track of time and things can get a little messy, but the possibilities are endless. Inspire yourself for your next DIY garden project, and make the most of your outdoor space.
Related: How to Assemble a Greenhouse Kit
Garden Station
Backyard greenhouses range in size, price, and style—it all depends on what you want to accomplish. The main function of a greenhouse is to provide light and heat, which makes it a bright and happy hangout for plants and humans alike.
For this reason, you can utilize your backyard greenhouse as a garden station—hang or pot your favorite plants; store gardening tools, including those for re-potting, as well as a dedicated space for soil, seeds, and cuttings. It doesn’t have to look luxurious—take it as the perfect “home” to develop a green thumb in the middle of your backyard.
A Vintage Feel
You don't have to be an expert gardener to pull off this wonderful addition. A greenhouse is entirely what you make of it. Keep it a functional space for storing tools, or dress it up with light fixtures and art—or better yet, do both by repurposing old windows or vintage frames.
Reclaiming old material, whatever you’ve saved over the years, gives personality to your greenhouse and while it might not have cost a fortune, it sure is a masterpiece with a true sentimental value.
Related: Build the She Shed of Your Dreams
Make It a Multipurpose Room
Some women are turning their backyard greenhouses into a man-cave alternative, the She Shed. For women who find bliss in gardening and spending time outside, this can be the perfect relaxation getaway.
You can also try and build an adjacent multipurpose outdoor room, such as a table setting or lounge space, decorated with dainty lights and delicate plants or flowers. Lean-to styles can make for a cozy sunroom, without the hefty renovations, for wining and dining in style. Budget permitting, a backyard greenhouse could easily become a three-season room (just make sure you get the right permits and contractors for this—it’s not an easy DIY project if you don’t have the experience).
Related: Sunroom Ideas
Minimal Size for Minimal Spaces
A backyard greenhouse doesn’t have to be an insane project. If you’re tight on budget or space, a simple, minimal greenhouse can do the trick—whether you go for a 4 x 4; 6 x 6; or the common 8 or 10 feet wide for hobby greenhouses. You can take advantage of every inch by adding small-sized furniture, or why not, just using it for a “home” to grow herbs and easy-to-keep fruit plants, like tomatoes or peppers.
How to Build a DIY Backyard Greenhouse
So now, where do you get started? First things first, decide what you want from your backyard greenhouse: garden fresh vegetables year round, a home for your prized potted plants, or a relaxation destination surrounded by nature (we could go on). Then calculate your price point. Greenhouses can range in price, depending on materials, size, and whether or not you actually build it yourself—and the level of difficulty for DIY also depends on these factors. If you're looking for a quicker, cheaper option, PVC pipes and plastic coverings or a small greenhouse kit can get the job done. If you have one of those Pinterest-perfect, fairytale styles in mind, check out on-line plans and tutorials. You'll have to invest a little more time and money, but the payoff will be so worth it.
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