Everything You Need to Know About Mini Home Greenhouses

Having a greenhouse in your home is one of the best choices you can make: it allows you to have more fresh greens available and more beautiful flowers to decorate your house. Besides having more fresh products, it keeps you busy on those boring Sunday afternoons and it also keeps you healthy, in contact with soil, greens, and sunlight. So what are you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves, start planting and let nature revive your life and soul.

Growing Your Own Food

Building your own mini greenhouse in your home will give you the benefit of always having fresh vegetables and herbs for your own use. By making it organic you will be eating clean food, without all those chemicals it usually has(even on the farmer’s market!) and you will have the satisfaction of eating what you planted and grew yourself.

Grow Your Own Flowers

Another great thing about having your own greenhouse is that you can plant seasonal flowers and you’ll always have freshly cut bouquets at home to decorate the living room or even give as a gift to a loved one. Who doesn’t love the smell of flowers in your own home?

Healthy Nature

Being in contact with nature has been proven to be a great way to maintain a healthy mind - it can reduce depression and improve psychological well-being. Working with your hands in soil and helping plants grow also helps you stay grounded and have a deeper connection with nature and life.

”My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass” -Leslie Grimutter

Building a Mini Greenhouse

Now that you know the many benefits associated with having your own greenhouse, it’s time to get dirty! Here are a few steps and tips to start building your own mini greenhouse.

Choosing the Location

Choosing the right spot for your greenhouse is crucial. It best to have sunlight throughout the day, so make sure you choose a good place to leave it breathing. A south-facing spot is ideal, without any structures that block the sunlight, but If you don’t have a good place and can only choose one with either morning sun or afternoon sun, choosing a spot with morning sun is always the best choice.

Also be mindful that with the winter coming soon, the sun has a lower angle and trees and houses are more likely to cause shadows over the greenhouse.

Choosing the Right Size for You

Making a mini greenhouse rather than a normal one is best for those who don’t have much space or don’t want to make a big commitment. You can choose to make a really small one just for herbs you frequently use in the kitchen or a slightly bigger one to accommodate veggies, tomatoes, eggplants, lettuce, flowers, etc. Making a mobile one is also a great choice, you can put it outside during the day to get sunlight and bring it back inside during the night.

Make a Simpler Setting

To make a mini greenhouse you don’t need to have much space nor spend much money: you just need the creativity.

Plastic Bottles

You can cut out plastic bottles to create tiny environments on your garden. Choose bigger and larger bottles such as water jugs or juice gallons, cut out the bottom, and leave the top cap off. According to Ananda from A Piece Of Rainbow, it can raise the temperature inside by 10ºF, making it a simple but effective mini greenhouse! If you have some big mason jars laying around, you can use them upside down to cover smaller plants and herbs and have the same effect.

Arranged Greenhouse on a Window

Another good idea to have a spot for your plants if you don’t have the space or live on an apartment, is by transforming a window into a different greenhouse. Choose a big one that receives lots of sunlight, set up some shelves and place some pots and vases with herbs and houseplants.

Wooden Structure

Wondering if there’s any way you could make a mobile greenhouse? Yes, there is! You can make a wooden structure with glass, maybe even repurposing old picture frames or windows. It’s great for renters: it’s not permanent and you can place it anywhere you wish, wherever the sun is shining.

Also good for those who live where the winter is more severe: you can take it outside to enjoy the scarce sunlight during the day and inside during the night.

Using Umbrellas as Covers

A very different way to imitate a greenhouse is by using umbrellas to cover the plants. In this DIY, you can learn how to repurpose those old or broken ones you have into the garden, making your plants last longer and be safer from bugs.

Alternative Materials

To create your own greenhouse you don’t need to spend much money or go through much trouble. Use what you have at home, decide what works best for you and your house, be creative and the result is going to be remarkably unique.

Permanent Setting

If you have the space on the backyard, you can choose to make a small permanent greenhouse. You can choose between lots of materials, like:

• A wooden structure with glass
• A structure made with pvc pipes and plastic
• Pallets + plastic
• Aluminum + glass
• Straw bales as small walls and ground with a window frame on top
• Many others materials. Use what you have and be creative!

Having a mini greenhouse on your backyard is one the best projects you can plan for this fall. What do you think of the idea? Which of these settings do you think it’s best? Let us know below in the comment section and check out our Facebook for more awesome ideas like this.