One of the best ways to grow your own food on a year round basis is to build your own greenhouse. This way you get to choose the size based on the available space you have at your home. It does take planning and work and you need to make sure you read a lot about the subject because there is a lot more to it than sticking some plastic up over a frame and putting plants inside, You will need to have ventilation and circulation and there are calculators to help you figure that out OR you can call a retailer who is selling the materials and they can help you as well. Have your dimensions ready and a sketch ready to fax if need be.

One of the best covering materials is Solexx panels and rolls. It is very easy to install and has a great rating for all types of climates including very cold temperatures. You will need to get the thicker 5mm for these extreme climates and the 3.5mm for your normal climates. Since each panel has been treated twice for the effects of ultraviolet, it helps to filter out harmful rays and extends the life of the panels and rolls and is one more reason to consider them for your greenhouse.

Almost once a week I get a link sent to me to watch a documentary about our food source. If you have ever watched any of these then you know there are some very disturbing issues with the way our food is delivered to us in regard to what we are really getting. While we seem to think this is mostly about cows, chickens and pigs and the way they are treated to how they are being fattened up before slaughter, it also has to do with the chemicals used on our fruits and vegetables.

So with this in mind, you may want to start thinking of ways to grow at least some of your own food and become your own food source. Knowing that you can accomplish this with the help of raised beds and small greenhouses makes it a little easier than plowing up half your lawn! You will still need to watch the type of soil you use as well as the seeds you get so you get an organic finished product. Also know that having cedar (non-treated) is also the best type of raised bed to buy.

I have several friends who think I am nuts and they may be right. However, I don’t feel like I am nuts when I get to go out into my backyard, anytime I want, and pick some, if not all, of what I am eating for the day. It beats spending another $50.00 on groceries this week and the only way I can do that is by having my own greenhouse. However, if you are not a gardener, you can still get some of the advantages of a greenhouse growing by finding local farms and farmers markets that you can frequent.

Yes, you will have to hand over cash for the items you purchase, but you will also get fresh produce that you can use throughout the week. While some of these farms simply grow what they can in the given season, others utilize greenhouses to provide their customers with the best they can grow. On the other hand, if you love to garden, greenhouses are just the next level of being able to garden on a year round basis. You can always start small with a cold frame or mini greenhouse and work up from there. If you fall in love with it, you will grow for a lifetime!

Much is in the news every day about global greenhouse gases and the warming effect they produce on our global climate. But today I thought I’d look at another type of “Greenhouse Effect”, one that has tremendous positives on our vitality and quality of life.

Owning a greenhouse has been a real pleasure in my life. It has provided me many years of pleasure and rewarded me and my family with countless days’ worth of delicious food and sustenance. As far as hobbies go, I have never had buyer’s remorse or wished I had never gotten into greenhouse gardening (whereas friends with boats and other hobbies all talk about what a mixed bag it is). The “effect” of greenhouse gardening has been nothing but positive in my life, with reduced stress levels, the comfort of watching things grow, and the satisfaction of knowing that I am contributing to a sustainable way of life for my family.

This is the time of year when I can’t sit still. I catch a glorious hint of warmth on a passing breeze, and I get all a-flutter with anticipation of the coming season, when all becomes alive and green again. Seed catalogs have started to come with regularity (one of the few guilty pleasures I still allow myself in my attempts to consume less paper-printed materials) and I know that in a matter of weeks – days, really – I’ll be basking in a stray ray of sunshine, and up to my elbows in rich, life-supporting dirt!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I hate February or anything, but sometimes, like today, for instance, it just feels like February exists only to slow me down from getting on in to March and April. I am glad there are only 28 days in this month. If it was longer it really would be insufferable. Just had to say it. I know you were thinking it, too.

There are actually two different movements going on in the organic food world.  One is centered on large organic growers that deliver food stuff to both national and local organic grocery stores, while the other is centered on local organic farms and sustainable organic growing that includes growing in your own yard.  You cannot guarantee sustainability when food is coming from the outside in.  However, foods grown in neighborhood and local farms are very sustainable and have worked for centuries.  One of my favorite ways of growing food is with a Rion 8 x 12 Hobby Greenhouse as it fits into most backyards and comes complete.

It is extremely important to find a greenhouse kit that fits both your yard and lifestyle.  If you need some automation, you can get it thought it will cost you a little bit more.  The great thing about Rion Greenhouses is they have several types to choose from that come with packaged deals so they are as complete as you want them to be.  The hardest thing about greenhouses is you normally don’t purchase one that is large enough the first time so make sure you don’t short change yourself in size.