Change from yard shoes to greenhouse shoes to avoid cross-contamination.


For added value, greenhouse gardens act as insulation


when situated on a rooftop to reduce heating and cooling costs, plus divert rainwater from drainage systems; the latter being especially valuable in urban zones. Whatever its size or scope, greenhouse gardening also shelters a sense of community. As gardeners trade vegetables for a fisherman’s excess catch or as a thank-you for the loan of tools, they share both lively fare and their love of discovery.


Connect with the freelance writer via AveryMack@ mindspring.com.


Greenhouses by Avery Mack G


reenhouses can be elabo- rate or simple, bought or homemade from recycled storm windows and architectural scrap, designed with peaked roofs, hoops or geodesic domes. Some are set on a raised platform to stay above snow and flood levels. Kits at home improvement stores come in many sizes; Ikea even has a mini-greenhouse suitable for a windowsill. Sustainable passive solar models are the latest twist. Add a hammock or lounge chair for a tranquil getaway spot. A whimsical greenhouse built on a platform allows for deep Canadian snows. Recycled 1800s windows comprise both walls and roof with colorfully painted decorations safeguarding birds as they fly nearby (Tinyurl.com/Window-Greenhouse). Built in 1936, the art deco-styled Jewel Box, in St. Louis, Missouri, is an outstanding example of greenhouse design, with more than 15,000 square feet of vertical glass and five stair-stepped roofs. Horizontal metal surfaces prevent weath- er damage (Tinyurl.com/JewelBoxGreenhouse). Washington State Environmental Chemist David Stone built a greenhouse using Ferrock, a carbon-negative material he invented as a cement substitute. Inside it, winter tempera- tures remain at 60 degrees, even though it’s near the Canadi- an border (Tinyurl.com/Eco-Greenhouse). In Mesa, Arizona, a swimming pool is home to tilapia and


chickens, wheat and grapes, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. The closed-loop aquaponic farm is an almost entirely self-sustain- ing ecosystem (Tinyurl.com/PoolGreenhouse).


For more ideas, visit Tinyurl.com/Building-Greenhouses and Tinyurl.com/SalvageGreenhouses.


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natural awakenings October 2015 21


photo courtesy of Roger Marshall


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