Unsure of How to Make Your Backyard Plant-worthy? Here are 10 DIY Greenhouse Ideas to Get You Started.
At first glance, it may seem that there are still a few good days left to work in the open air, but in reality, every gardener knows that the weather rarely works in line with the calendar. That is where our greenhouse ideas for backyard spaces come in handy.
Plastic Bottle Greenhouses
Starting off simple but effective, plastic bottles can be used to shelter plants from the elements. These cost-effective greenhouses can be made for less than a dollar by finding a plastic bottle big enough to cover the intended resident, cutting the bottom off and placing it over the plant! Easy.
Pallet Greenhouses
Why not take advantage of that pallet-hoarding habit with one of our more hands-on backyard greenhouse ideas? Pallet wood is perfect for quick construction, and with just a little elbow grease (and some DIY greenhouse plastic), you can create a custom greenhouse structure that fits your garden space like a glove.
Recycled Cold Frame
If you’ve still got some pallet wood left over, why not make a cold frame too? This short structure takes up less wood, and less space than a full greenhouse, and makes the perfect lidded store for ground vegetables.
Hoop Tunnels
These traditional shelters can be made with any flexible branches or strong natural fibres you have lying around. Some firm favourites are cedar and willow, which can be bent into supportive shapes and embedded into the ground.
Straw Bale Cold Frames
A little niche, but still entirely possible! If you like the small scale of a cold frame but don’t have any wood to use, bales of hay work effectively as insulation and can be bought for cheap depending on availability.
Traditional A-Frames
Created by leaning and sealing two frames together to form an A shape, these quick constructions can insulate plants below with glass, plastic or sheeting. Leave one or both ends open for easy access!
Greenhouse Toppers
If you’ve already got a bed frame containing small/young plants, toppers are ideal. By simply reinforcing your window of choice, you can create a lid that fits the exact measurements of your bed. This is one of the best small backyard greenhouse ideas around, as its short height keeps as much vertical space free as possible.
Salvaged Window Greenhouses
This one is worth the work. Windows of all shapes and sizes can be sourced easily from salvage yards. Anyone with an eye for construction can make their own greenhouse for cheap using these recycled materials.
Bookshelf Greenhouses
This one is a firm favourite. If you’ve got an old bookshelf to hand, lean it against a sunny wall and fill it with plastic pots for plants. Covering the front with plastic, glass or sheeting will protect the shelves, creating a quirky yet functional garden feature!
Wire Skeleton Greenhouses
When it comes to backyard greenhouse ideas, there is too much reliance on wood. Garden fencing wire is cheap, flexible, and malleable to all backyard shapes and sizes. Form whatever shape you like and cover it with an appropriate layer of sheeting to make a cheap, sturdy structure.
As you can see, there is an abundance of DIY greenhouse ideas to suit every budget. The best thing about building your own greenhouse is that most of the time, you can use recycled and salvaged materials to create something entirely unique for your garden, saving you money while saving the planet!