Customer Reviews

How to Build Your Own Greenhouse

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The wife wants a real greenhouse. OK, I said. After reading up on all the glowing reviews herein for this one, I ordered this book with real anticipation. Boy, what a let-down after it arrived.

This overwhelmingly simplistic book has information and details that are of a level that I would expect to find in weekend newspaper articles and others of that sort. Nothing of any real help in actually 'building' anything but the most rudimentary sheds is covered here. What are these other reviewers thinking or expecting here?

I guess that there is 'general info' within it, but nothing more. Greenhouse Building 101 it's not. More like Remedial Greenhouse 040.

The one real bit of value in this book is the reference page at the end. It lists a number of greenhouse suppliers of both kits and components in the U.S. However, Google did the same thing for me in .016 seconds, and for free.

All that being said, the Author himself does indeed seem to be an experienced gardener, with much of it in his homemade greenhouses. Perhaps this is what other reviewers found so appealing. I wish him well -he seems a likable sort; but the title of this book, in my opinion, should have instead been: "Gardening with Homemade Greenhouses".

I finally "sprang" for this book because I read a good review on a garden club website. It is a wonderful book on all aspects of greenhouse design. I am sure glad I spent this money before we started spending the serious money, and hard work, on the real thing.

Any who would build a greenhouse will find HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE: DESIGNS AND PLANS TO MEET YOUR GROWING NEEDS offers up the hope of year-round gardening as it explores a range of greenhouse designs and options, from simple cold frames to elaborate freestanding tropical constructions. Chapters cover basic freestanding and extension designs for greenhouses, include lean-tos and garden shed blends, and discuss not only construction of independent structures, but how to incorporate them into an existing home. From floor to ceiling options, HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE covers it all, includes design tips and basic plans, and is a pick for any library strong in homeowner's or gardener's construction references.

I originally bought this because I am thinking about making a greenhouse. The book is very comprehensive with lots of drawings and pictures. It was well worth the investment.

I am so grateful to Roger Marshall for writing this book. Even a cursory glance of it gave me the impression that it was the book I would need to bring my plans of a greenhouse for the Arkoe Garden (arkoegarden.blogspot.com) to reality.

After having read it, I am in the stages of finalizing the type of greenhouse I want and making plans for building it this summer. If you would like to see the progress, you can visit the blog. The Lord willing, I will begin sometime in August in preparation for fall.

I appreciate the checklist especially, because I am a list maker and lists make projects a lot less stressful as far as I'm concerned. I was also inspired by the watering system using the 5-gallon buckets and the fish tank pump for reclaiming and reusing the water. I plan to repurpose bricks from a building demolition in a neighboring city for my greenhouse base and incorporate the bricks and the ideas for cold frames for a couple of other raised beds that will be added around the property, and one for the strawberry box newly added.

The greenhouse will allow me to have fresh-cut flowers year round. Because both rock and space aren't much of a problem, I am considering a rock heating system, or a propane generator and heater that can be hooked into the large propane tank already onsite. Roger's book really has inspired me to be imaginative, though imagination tempered with some practicality -- or not.

I plan to add Roger's book to my Black and Decker home repair library (purchased used on Amazon) and work the greenhouse into my landscaping plans already in works on my Better Homes and Gardens software (also purchased used on Amazon.) But in order to include the book on my reference shelf I'll have to put it down first. Oh, and a final special note of thanks to Roger for the extra white space in the book and the wide margins. I will, no doubt be making a lot of notes as my project progresses.

If you're going to build a greenhouse, buy this book.

The designs are simple, the instructions are detailed, and quite straightforward, and the illustrations are immensely helpful.

This is the go-to book for backyard, or even small hobby farm, greenhouse design and construction. There are lots of different schemes here, from season extending frames to full-on solaria and orchid houses. All budgets are discussed and plans cover the full price range.

Excellent book. The book is well written. It explains many options that can be taken...from a very cheap, basic structure to a more costly, complex building.

Very good information. The greenhouse is almost done. My husband referred to this little book often. I'm a happy camper.

If you're operating a small or a LARGE greenhouse - this will be your "bible"...... for operation.

I have 2 copies! In the house and greenhouse.

my partner and I basically used only this book and a helper who has built greenhouses before to build our new greenhouse. The instructions here are clear and the illustrations were exactly what we needed.