You are probably asking yourself, “aren’t all greenhouses one-story structures”? Well, for all practical purposes, yes, they are. While chatting with a new acquaintance at Three Story Coffee, I jokingly suggested that I would name the St. Joseph Street Community Garden greenhouse, the One-Story Greenhouse. Anyway, and although not too funny nor smart, the name stuck.
Our main reason to build a small (60 ft2) passive greenhouse is to grow seedlings on a schedule best suited for a timely planting. Because the greenhouse is passive and won’t have electric or gas-powered heating or cooling capabilities, it’s primary use will be during early to late-Spring and Fall months. My previous greenhouse was utilized in this same manner, and it worked quite well. Here in Central Missouri, our weather is often pleasantly mild during Spring and Fall seasons.
We are happy to announce that the One-Story Greenhouse was completed on May 6, 2022. We had originally envisioned building a wood structure fitted with old windows, however, the price for these materials continued to rise. This caused us to look for a DIY kit greenhouse. After a fairly in-depth search we opted to purchase a 6 ft x 10 ft passive structure.
Although one of the side walls faces the south, the full intensity of oncoming sunlight is filtered by a few oak limbs which sway far above the structure. It’s actually ideal since the partial shade doesn’t permit the greenhouse to become overheated.
The next step involves building shelves and and a potting area. I’ll update this post once we have accomplished this.
All the best!
The Garden Dreamer 