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.

What shade of green are you? If you look at what living green really is then you know there are all kinds of shades depending on “how green” you go. If all you do is replace your light bulbs with the energy saving kind of bulb then you are a light shade of green. If you walk or bike everywhere you go and eat only locally grown plants and animals, save your rain water and take a bath with recycled water you are a very dark shade of green. If you live in one of Michael Reynolds Earth Ships that is self sustaining and incorporates grow houses to grow your own food then you are so dark green you are almost black!

Very few of us stop to think what color green we really are and even fewer stop to think how far we would like to go. However, our world and the world of our children and grandchildren depend on us making decisions and commitments as to how green we are willing to go. To do this we will have to put our attitudes of entitlement behind us and get to work because being green requires us to get involved with our transportation, energy and food supplies, not to mention our water use. So what shade of green are you and how green do you want to go?

There is nothing like cooking with fresh vegetables and herbs. You can’t believe the taste and texture differences from our garden and the local supermarket’s vegetables and fruit. I have become a believer in the local food market because of the taste these foods bring to the dinner table. You see, I am a foodie. That’s right, I love food and everything there is about making the best meals ever.

If you think I am a little over the top, you might be surprised how many of us exist these days. I know lawyers who have free range chickens in their backyard, an electrical engineer who works on a farm part time in order to get grain fed beef at a reduced price for his family and several families that have gone in together to create a garden that they can all eat out of for the season.  If you have time to do a little investigating in regard to our food sources and what is being done to grow chickens and cows faster as well as the sugar highs induced in the brain by manufactured and packaged foods, you would also start investigating what you could do to grow your own great foods. In the mean time, find a local farm and buy your food local; you will be glad you did!

Organic gardening is not easy. Pests and underfertilization are just two of the many problems facing a gardener wanting to go it greener. But I have discovered that organic vegetable gardening is much easier with the help of a cedar raised bed. I am thrilled with the yield I’m getting this year already, and it’s only May. Pests, many of which have a natural aversion to cedar, seemed to miss my tender young seedlings altogether this year.

And the number of plants I was able to pack in to this raised bed is nothing short of crowded. But lest you think that I didn’t provide enough space, relax: that’s another known fact about container and raised bed gardening; you can plant your plants much closer together, and thus maximize your space usage.

I think this is the first year I will have been able to say that I went organic all the way, from planting to harvest, and I do not believe it has been any harder than the usual in-ground gardening I do. In fact, I think it’s been easier so far! Updates to follow.

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.

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.