Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Greenhouses & Garden Projects: Greenhouses, Cold Frames, Compost Bins, Trellises, Planting Beds, Potting Benches & More

241 Pages·2011·115.42 MB·English

by  Philip Schmidt

~ BIACK&DECKER®.
The Complete Guide to
GREENHOUSES &
GARDEN PROJECTS
• Greenhouses • Cold Frames • Compost Bins • Trellises
• Planting Beds. Potting Benches & More
MINNEAPOLIS. MINNESOTA
www,crt::lIivepuh.colll
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Copyright © 2011 President/CEO.· Ken Fund
Creative Publishing international, Inc.
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300 Home Improvement Group
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
HOO~328~OS90 Publisher: Bryan Trandem
wvvw.creativepub.com Managing Editor: Tracy Stanley
All rights reserved Senior Editor: Mark Johanson
Printed in China Creative Director. Michele Lanci-Altomare
Art DIrection/Design: Brad Springer, Jon Simpson, James Kegley
109876 S4 32 1
Lead Photographer: Joel schnell
Digital edition: 978+610S9~017~4 Set Builder: James Parmeter
Softcover edition: 978~ 1~ S8923~S99~ 1 Production Managers: Laura Hokkanen, Linda Halls
library of congress Cataloging-in-publication Data Page Layout Artist: Danielle Smith
Tech Editor: Chris Marshall
The Complete GUide To Greenhouses and Garden Projects: Photographer: Richard Fleischman
Greenhouses, Cold Frames, Compost Bins, Garden Carts, Planter Shop Help: Charles Boldt
Beds, potting Benches and More. Proofreader: Ingrid Sundstrom Lundegaard
pages cm. ~ ~ (The Complete Guidel
At head of title: Black & Decker. Authoc Philip Schmidt
Includes index, Contributing writers: Pat Price, Nora Richter Greer
Summary: "Includes plans and step-by-step instructions for Illustrations: Robert Leana II, Michael Prendergast
building several greenhouses and other garden projects. Projects
suitable to homes and landscapes in urban, suburban and rural
settings"~~Provided by publisher.
ISBN~13 : 978+S8923~S99~1 (soft cover)
ISBN~ 10: 1 ~58923~599~ 1 (soft cover)
1. Greenhouses--Design and construction--Amateurs' manuals. 2.
Garden structures--Design and construction--Amateurs' manuals. I,
Black & Decker Corporation (Towson, Md.) II. Title. III. Series.
SB416.C642011
690'.8924~~dc22
2010042930
The Complete Guide to Greenhouses & Garden Projects
Created by: The Editors of Creative Publishing International, Inc., In cooperation with Black & Decker.
Black & Decker® is a trademark of The Black & Decker Corporation and is used under license.
NOTICE TO READERS
For safety, use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book. The publisher
and Black & Decker cannot assume responsibility for any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse
of the information provided.
The techniques shown in this book are genera l techniques for various applications. In some instances, additional
techniques not shown in this book may be required. Always follow manufacturers' instructions included with products,
since deviating from the directions may void warranties. The projects in this book vary widely as to ski ll levels required:
some may not be appropriate for all do~it~yourselfers, and some may require professional help.
Consult your local building department for information on building permits, codes, and other laws as they apply to
your project.
Contents
The Complete Guide to
Greenhouses & Garden Projects
Introduction . ....... . ......... . . ... . ... . 6
Greenhouses . ........... .... .......... . 8
Choosing a Greenhouse . . ... . .. . . . ... . . 10
Where to Site Your Greenhouse . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . 16
Greenhouse Styles . . .... . . . . . . . . . . 18
Greenhouse Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. . .. . . . . . . . . 28
Custom Victorian Greenhouse. . .... .. •........ S2
DIY Gabled Greenhouse . . .... .. •........ 72
Freestanding Kit Greenhouse . .78
pvc HOophouse . .86
Shed-style Greenhouse . . .. . . . . . ... .. .. .. .. .•. . . . ... . . 92
Garden Projects . ........ _. ............ 106
Seed Starter Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . 108
Cold Frame Box ......... .. . ...... .. . . ..... 112
Raised Planting Bed. . ... . . . . . . . . . . 11 6
Raised Planting Bed & Cover . . ... . . . . . . . . . . 120
Contents (Cont.)
Simple Potting Bench ........ . · ...... 126
High·low Potting Bench . · ...... 130
Built·in potting Bench .... 134
Greenhouse Tables .. .. . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. . 138
Compost Bin . . . .. .. .. . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. . 142
Easy Compost Corral. · . .. .. . 148
Rain Barrel . .. .. .. . 1S2
Strawberry Barrel. .. ..... 154
Solar Produce Dryer . .. ..... 156
Bamboo Trellis ............. . ...... .. . · ...... 160
sandwich Board Trellis ..... . .. ...... .. . · ...... 164
Trellis Planter . . .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · . .. .. . 168
Planter With Hanging Trellis . . . . . . . . . . . . . · . .. .. . 172
Diamond Trellis . .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . · . .. .. . 178
Versailles Planter . .. .. ... . . . . . . . . . .. . . · . .. .. . 182
Planter Boxes ............. . . ....... 186
Hypertufa Planter .......... . . ....... 190
Hypertufa Birdbath ......... . . . .... 194
Copper/ Bamboo Border . . . . . . .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . 1n
Copper Lantern . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . 202
Cedar Garden Bench . .. .. .. 206
Tiled Garden Bench . · . . . . . 210
Mini Garden Shed ................. .. . · ..... 214
Cast Concrete Ornaments .......... .. . · ..... 222
Stepping Stones ....................... . · ..... 226
Concrete Landscape & Garden Borders · ..... 228
Conversions ... .. ....... .. ............ 234
Credits/Resources . .. . .. . ... •. . . ... . . . 236
Index ........ .. ....... .. .. . . . . . ..... 237
I
Introduction
OU hold this book in your hands because you're so meone who likes to work and play in the dirt . Or at least
Yyou like the thought of it, and you're looking for inspiration to help you get out there. [n eit her case, you've
come to the right place. Like a garden itself, thi s book is fill ed wi th diverse bo unty. It is a compendium of
info rmation, Cldvice, projects, and nitty-gritty de tails to help you satisfy your pass ion to grow things .
If you're a lready an avi d gardener and are th inlJng about talJ ng your hobby to the next level, the Greenhouses
chapter is the place to start. Surely you've dreamt of bending the rules of nature just a bit , starting spring a little
earlier, exten ding Slimm er in to October, or maybe creating a tropical paradise in the dead of winte r. Even the
si mples t of green house structures ca n expand the possi bilities of what and whe n you can grow. and they make it
much more fun and comfortable to garde n in (what used to be called ) the off season.
1o day's green houses are wi dely availab le in a variety of styles and sizes to fit just about any budget. And you
always have the option of bui lding your own custom house or assembling one from a kit. Projects for building
the most popu lar types of hobby greenhouses are included here. a long with answers to the essentia l greenhouse
questions, like what type of structure is right for your needs. where and how to build it , what materials to use,
and how to mai ntai n it .
\-\1hil e many attractive greenhouses are avai lable fo r sale in kit fo rm , most would only blend in with your
home style if you happen to live in a drive-thru restauran t. If you'd like to have the advan tages of a fully
functioning greenhou se but you want to main tai n t he a rc hitectural style of your house, then yo u'll wan t to follow
along the custom Victorian gree nhollse project. There, yo u'll fi nd a complete, start-to-fini sh demonstration of a
custom lean-to greenhouse with Victorian styling to match the Queen Ann e house to which it is attac hed. Even
the door and the windows are made fTom scratc h using ordinary build ing materia ls .
And no matter what type of gardening you do, the Garden Projects c hapter is bound to have something YO ll
ca n really use: p lanting beds. a compost bin , trellises , potting benches ... you name it. Best of all, every design
uses simple, inexpensive raw materials that you work with your hands into someth ing that's much more than the
sum of its parts. Sound s a lot like garden ing, doesn't it?
• 7
I
Greenhouses
nter a greenhouse and you've crossed the threshold of
Ean cxtraorclillaJY place. You're greeted by a profusion of
flowers and the rich textures of foliage. Sweet fragrances
mix with the earthy smell of soil. Diffused light shines
through the misty air. In the silence, you can almost hear
the plants grO\ving. Traffic fumbles by unnoticed, and the
distractions of the "real" world seem miles away.
Once the province of the wealthy, greenhollse
gardening is now practiced by almost two million
American homeowners, according to the American
Horticultural Society. You'll find greenhoLlses on city
rooftops and tucked into suburban gardens. No two
are identical, even if they're constructed from the
same kit ; the contents of a gree nhouse make it unique.
Some ho use vegetables (tomatoes and cucumbers),
some shelter tropicals (scheffleras and dieffenbachias),
and some are home to flats of germinating begonias.
A select few protect rare orchids and plants imported
from exotic tropical locales. But they all serve a
common purpose: a place where gardeners can lose
themselves among green and growing things.
In this chapter:
• Choosing a Greenhouse
• Where to Site Your Greenhouse
Greenhouse Styles
• Greenhouse Elements
• Custom Victorian Greenhouse
• DIY Gabled Greenhouse
Freestanding Kit Greenhouse
• PVC Hoophouse
• Shed-style Greenhouse
• 9