Our Tiny (~114 sqft) Greenhouse
The tiny greenhouse is up, folks!
It is a ~114 sqft, T-shaped design that straddles the sunny field of the prairie and the cool canopy of the oak trees. It’s still a work in progress as far as finishing touches and styling are concerned, but that’s the easy part!
We started this project back in the spring, but first had to navigate the permitting process since we’re in a flood zone here in the Southeast. Turns out that we had to lift the structure 5’ off the ground to satisfy requirements, so now it’s got a treehouse vibe to it.
If we could’ve build it on the ground, I would’ve done so on top of a low, 2-3’ brick or stone perimeter wall to create more height and to mix-and-match textures and materials. Still, I’m so happy with how it turned out!
Since we’re in a high wind zone here in Florida, where there are product approvals to pass before building anything new, we couldn’t construct a structure of recycled/repurposed windows and materials. So instead, we found this sweet little aluminum + tempered glass greenhouse kit from The Home Depot.
What drew us to this partial model was its unique shape and compact but easily navigable size. Despite its small footprint, it has an overall height of 8’2” so our family can sill move comfortably around the interior. (I’m almost 6’ tall, and Adam and my father are even taller.)
The framework base can anchor to bare level ground, a concrete slab, or a wood platform like the one we had to create. We used pressure-treated lumber from The Home Depot to make the 14’ x 14’ deck, and placed the greenhouse towards the back of the surface so that the extra square footage extends beyond the front of the greenhouse like a miniature — but very usable! — stoop.
It took about a one week for two people (our friend Alan and my husband + business partner, Adam) to construct the unit. Alan studied the instructions in advance, and came prepared with all the necessary tools and back-up materials, just in case. It would’ve all been completed sooner had they not stopped repeatedly for the summer rains. Uninterrupted, I estimate that it would’ve taken 3-4 days of work for the two of them.
Now that it’s all up, we’re debating— deck paint? Slip-proof tile? Both, I think! And of course we need to add some railings.
In the meantime, we’ll be outfitting this gem with flexible zones for potting + growing and lounging, and we fully intend to enjoy it as much in the fall and winter as we undoubtedly will when spring rolls around again.
Since the greenhouse has a sliding front door and 2 roof windows for ventilation, it’s actually quite a comfortable temperature inside — especially with a fan oscillating. This is welcome news for us, since we intend to use the space like a conservatory or sunroom, more so than strictly a greenhouse for plants.
I’m sure some readers will be concerned about the possibility of bird strikes, so I want to address that topic in this post as well. Prior to constructing the greenhouse, we spoke with a neighbor in the community about their experience with strikes on their greenhouse. They’d not yet experienced any, but we went ahead and purchased some decals on Etsy anyway, just in case. Thankfully this small house has several aluminum beams in addition to our furnishings and accessories to visually break up the glass. In the three weeks it’s been up we’ve had no incidents, but we’ll remain on alert. (As a family of vegetarians with three rescue pups, we take animal safety seriously.)
There will be many more posts featuring this beautiful little greenhouse to come. We’re thrilled with how it turned out, and I look forward to sharing more small space living stories from it with you.
I want to thank The Home Depot for working with us on this project. They’ve always been so supportive of our small business’ funny little ideas— from our tiny closet nursery at the cottage, to our galley kitchen’s more energy-efficient renovation, to our outdoor shower and mini thoroughfare garden makeover in Venice.
Note: This post features gifted product from The Home Depot. Our small business appreciates that The Home Depot has, for years, tangibly supported designers, bloggers and creators of color and from the LGBTQ community.
