The one certainty for all Master Gardeners is that gardening is more than gardening. It is therapy, it is fun, it is spiritual, it is physical, it is productive, it is a teacher, and it is meaningful and fulfilling. For many of us, that is enough. But for some, taking our gardening to another level might be good. And a greenhouse can introduce many new facets to the gardening process.
The most obvious use of a greenhouse is to overwinter our plants that might be damaged by the cold weather. That is certainly a good use of a greenhouse.
A second important use is to have a place to grow all those seedlings and get ready for our fall or spring gardens. (In my house, the dining table is used for this, and I would love a greenhouse.) Not just vegetables, but flower seeds can also be started. In Bell County, the Master Gardeners have a large table in their greenhouse. It has sides on it and is filled with potting soil. The seeds are
started on this large table and as they get large enough, the very small plant is lifted out with a spoon or spatula and put into a small pot. Now when it gets a bit arger, it can be planted outside or sold as a starter vegetable plant. Now that is another idea – money making – 100 small tomato plants sold to Walmart or to a nursery for $1 each. Or organic lettuce sold to a local restaurant.
Or given to a homeless shelter. A greenhouse also makes it easier to grow your lemon trees and lime trees and avocado plants. Having a greenhouse means you can enjoy your gardening therapy on a daily basis. It also means that you can share your produce and your flowers more easily. Having a greenhouse won’t help to end world hunger, but it can help our own little corner of the world produce more food and maybe spread the idea that growing your own food.