~Erin~ I bet that was fun! Paula

I wouldn't know! My awesome husband put it together for me! I tried to help but he said I was just getting in the way lol!

~Erin~

Hi great green house...I would love to have one but here in Minnesota it would be very spendy to heat...
your plants are all very good looking and a big variety nice...
what is the name of the plants you have hanging on the back bar ....are they the same plant and are they easy or hard to grow...thanks for posting.....linda

The plants hanging at the back are not cacti or succulents. They are both carnivorous plants called nepenthes ventricosa.

~Erin~

~Erin~
Nice greenhouse,would love to have one also.Ohio weather says No.......

Sharon

Lucky you, I plan to build one here in Pittsburgh zone 6. I was going to build it out of poly panels and 2x4's. With the top part able to swing open a little for summer heat. I don't plan on using it Dec. thru April but could extend my growing season by 2 to 3 months.
Stush

Very nice. You are lucky you don't have to heat it. My utilities are ridiculous during the winter.

You have LOTS of more room in theeeeeeeer...:-0)Very very nice.

Unless of course you plan on putting a nice fold chair in there and plan on doing some reading surrounded by them beauties. I love the hanging plants too.

Now, for any of those that desire to cut down on their utility bill for the winter, just ask me and I will share. My cost has significantly been reduced with this idea !

Mike:-)

Good luck with the new greenhouse. If you need more space, bring some plants indoors. You can keep an eye on them all the time

**Now, for any of those that desire to cut down on their utility bill for the winter, just ask me and I will share. My cost has significantly been reduced with this idea ! **

You got my attention Mike. What is your cost saving idea?

Karyn! I will let a picture speak a thousand words with a link I will provide.

I was using 2 space heaters to keep my greenhouse warmer than 50 degrees when temps dropped below the freezing mark and 3 to keep them that way when temps dropped into the teens or lower.
My average bill was over 250 dollars a month and it killed me.

This year I decided to be savy and try something that I knew worked for my pool water that kepted it from freezing and that would prevent radiational cooling.

I invested in a huge clear 'Pool Solar Cover', which looks like bubble wrap, but very thick, 14 mil, that only cost me 80 dollars and covered my entire greenhouse with it using bungie cords to keep in in place.
It is clear to allow the sun to do it's job, solar heating while letting the light in, and keep the heat in there at night while keeping the cold out and preventing radiational cooling.

Now I only need 1, yes 1 space heater to keep temps in there much warmer than they were with 2 and three running at the same time.
It is a God send and the best thing I could of ever of done for my very frigid area and plants! You should try it.

I will post a link for you to see how it's covered. It is in teh second group of photos I posted.

I just recieved my electric bill which was 150 dollars less than it was before I got that cover when the weather was not even this cold yet.
For instance, it was 18 degrees yesterday morning and it was 65 in there with my heater set on 65.
This am, it was 38 and the temp in there at 3am was 67 degrees with one heater. I am thrilled!

Mike:-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Solar covering for greenhouse

My awesome husband put it together for me! I tried to help but he said I was just getting in the way lol!

Typical guy. ;) It's all good, I do the same thing to my husband with things that require organization and an eye for symmetry. (His version of "the bed is made" is pitiful...)

Mike: Ooh, will have to consider this solar covering you speak of! Daytime winter temperatures here are typically in the 60s, but after nightfall can drop into the 30s. Right now I just cover my plants with a blanket and hope for the best.


*CG*

We need a godsend as far as keeping the dang greenhouse heated...so badly. Mike, how large is your greenhouse, if I may inquire?

Colleen

Mike I'm surprised the pool cover works for you, especially being a couple zones colder then me. Our solar pool cover barely even heated the top few inches of pool water early in the season. I could try it on my little GH 10 x 12 but it would be next to impossible to cover the big GH. It's 200' x 75'. I don't need the heater during the day. It's during the night and on cloudy days that the heaters run. I'd be thrilled if heating the GH's only added an additional $250 to my utility bills. lol At least the big GH runs on propane which is less expensive and I just keep that one above freezing. It's the smaller one that I don't let go below 50.

Out of respect for Erin's thread, let's continue this conversation at the link I provided and the end of my post.

It's amazing how much interest can be sparked when it comes to cost savings on this issue.

By the way, Erin, where do you get one of those hanging carniverous plants? They are amazing! Hopefully you won't have to deal with the frigid temps we get here too. If soi, please join in with us:-)

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Greenhouse cost savings contin. thread.

Mike,
I don't mind a highjacked thread lol. It gets kind of cool here in the winter. This winter has, so far, been very mild. I will for sure consider the solar cover for the pool. I never would have thought of that!

~Erin~

Love your Neps! I really would love to have some again but they get so darned BIG!

Linda, a friend of mine who is into orchids is converting his pole barn into a well insulated indoor greenhouse. Like in your area, heating in the winter is just too expensive for him. He's quite certain that the amount of $ he'll have to spend year round on electricity for lighting will be far less than what he has previously had to spend heating his last greenhouse over the fall-winter-early spring months.

Paul,

I love my neps. I just cut mine back today.