Greenhouse Gardening Tips

It's pretty tough to put all your thoughts into one "basket" - or in my case, one new greenhouse purchase. I'm Donna Balzer and I am a gardener and horticulturist by training. I am about to build my third BC Greenhouse Builders greenhouse this spring and you might think I should know everything about greenhouses by now.

So much to consider

It is December and the seed catalogues are arriving fast and furious. Meanwhile, online suppliers are pounding out dozens of notices to remind us it is time to order seeds soon.

How to Prepare your Greenhouse for High Wind Storms

Tidying Up Before Storms

Tidy up ahead of storms, so that in the event of high winds or snow storms items such as trash bins, lawn furniture, pots and trays will not be blown into your greenhouse. If required, move all the accumulated equipment and supplies out of the way along the sides and around ends of your greenhouse if you would like to create a path to the greenhouse or prevent snow drifts from accumulating on the sidewalls.

Late Fall Harvests

It's late September and I taste my first-ever finger lime, grown right in my greenhouse, and I am amazed by the crisp texture and luscious lime taste of the juicy vesicles. (See my first impressions here) And just then an unrelated email arrives. A Los Angeles-based marketing firm asks, "Will you showcase the benefits of nature on behalf of a client for an online event?"

Late Summer Gardening Tips

It is late August and I am chatting with my daughter who lives in Northern Alberta, Canada. Her outside garden has never looked so good because of the heat and regular rains. But she is wishing she could get another month on either end of the growing season.

Building a New Greenhouse: Best Features and Design Ideas

What is the best feature of your existing greenhouse? And what would you change if you could do it all over again and build a new greenhouse from scratch?

Another Reason to Love the Greenhouse: Perfect Cauliflower Growth

Lennie tracked me down at a party. “It’s my cauliflowers,” she sighed. “They are small and button-like instead of big like at the store.”

Do you have a greenhouse roof vent that is no longer opening or not opening enough?

Growing Soil with Hügelkultur

When I moved homes and built a new greenhouse, I was in for quite a surprise. The natural soil on my new lot is sand. Pure, yellow sand. This means it drains really well. It also means it does not hold nutrients to feed my plants.