Building Your Own Greenhouse (Greenhouse Basics) (Paperback)

by Mark Freeman (Author), Heather Bellanca (Illustrator) "Human beings have always sought to control or alter their environment..." (more)
Key Phrases: double thermal panes, freestanding greenhouse, greenhouse builders, Fiddlers Green, Mary's Madhouse, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The fundamentals of assembling a greenhouse and custom designing it to the gardener's needs, from simple cold frames to large free-standing and attached-to-the-house structures.

About the Author
Mark Freeman

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811727750
• ISBN-13: 978-0811727754
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,659 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Greenhouses
  #54 in	Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Do-It-Yourself
  #57 in	Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Design & Construction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

308 of 331 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good basic info but..., December 13, 1998

By A Customer

Too old info, there is too much New greenhouse information left out here. It seems the author has a desire to help but does'nt know of any of the new break-threws in this industry. Greenhouses have changed 100% from the wooden A framed house. Now they have many different designs thst can save heating cost 50%. Get some new info on greenhouse and you'll have more FUN.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Least Expensive Way to Get Started, January 9, 2006

By	Robert A. Williams "libertarian" (Oberlin, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is simply a magnificent book on how to construct your own hobby greenhouse as well as other gardening structures such as simple cold frames or installing a bay window with a nice ledge in your home. The main advantage of building your own greenhouse is cost-savings; manufactured greenhouses are very expensive to buy and even more expensive to have assembled. And you don't need to be a handyman to put one together - in most cases you'll be building a frame to hold plastic sheeting to keep out the cold and let in the sun's rays. So what if it's a little crooked here or there? Chances are neither you nor anyone else will notice, but the flowering assortment of vegetables, fruits, and specimen plants will grab everyone's attention!

The author, Mark Freeman, shares his own experiences as well as the experiences of others in building greenhouse structures. First he explains how greenhouses work. Then he shows you every step toward the completion of your own hobby greenhouse. The rest of the chapters are 'Site Selection and Laying a Foundation', 'Framing', 'Glazing', 'Ventilation' (a very important chapter because successful greenhouse gardening hinges on this), 'Supplemental Heating, Insulation, and Heat Sinks', 'Plumbing and Wiring', and 'Shutters and Shades'. Sources for suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors are also listed in appendices. In conclusion, he shares designs for eleven different DIY greenhouse structures including a hoop house. Another design is called Mary's Madhouse (an attached second-floor solar greenhouse built lean-to fashion over top of an adjoining shed) and Alwin's Plumber's Friend is a greenhouse made from PVC pipe. Mark Freeman's greenhouse is attached to his home and includes a hot tub nestled among his seedlings and houseplants.

In short, this is a great resource for the home gardener who has thought about building his or her first little greenhouse because you will no doubt experience success without too much fuss.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I built one of the Greenhouses from this book, January 11, 2007

By	Robert Long (Western NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was well written and offered many interesting greenhouse plans. I built a 22x40 foot model from the plans and have been very happy with the results.