Well, spring has arrived (or is at least on the verge of arriving) for most of us across the United States.  And I know I can speak for everyone here in the Midwest when I say, "Finally!"  It has been a long, cold winter and it's nice to finally be able to envision a world that is full of color and absent a crunchy icy shell. With spring comes the flurry of activity all gardeners are familiar with: planning the garden layout, preparing the soil, purchasing seeds, propagating, planting, etc.  With all the economic woes this year, new and first time gardeners are coming out of the woodwork in an effort to save money and have fresh, safe vegetables. Some of those new gardeners are purchasing or are contemplating purchasing a greenhouse for their backyard or lot.  Even if you are a seasoned garden veteran, a greenhouse is a logical next step to supplement your existing garden activities.  However, there are a few different types of greenhouses available, and the differences between the two can be somewhat difficult at times to determine. Every greenhouse essentially works on the same principles, so one "works" just as good as any other.  However, not every greenhouse owner wants the same things from their buildings.  Greenhouses can differ in aesthetics, efficiency in heating and cooling, climate control capabilities, durability, ease of use, ease of construction, etc.  Now is a great time, before growing season really gets going,  to outline the different types of buildings available and their respective pros and cons. Do-It-Yourself The primary advantage a DIY greenhouse is the cost.  They can be very inexpensive to construct since they are usually devised and built with at least a portion of available scrap material.  Scrap windows, scrap lumber, etc.  I've already covered poly film covered PVC greenhouses, which are a popular DIY solution because of the low cost.  But as with anything, you get what you pay for.  In this case, you get a short term greenhouse structure that will require frequent work as it is exposed to the elements. The drawback to a DIY of course is that you are 100% on your own when it comes to planning and building them.  There are some plans floating around on the Internet, and there are threads devoted to DIY greenhouses located at several of the more popular gardening sites, but for any direct help you're on your own to figure it out.  That's why these are best for the tinkerer, the weekend warrior, the person who doesn't mind projects and has the time and energy to devote to them.  Once complete they can be very rewarding.

Hobby, Residential, and/or Backyard Greenhouses

These greenhouses are small, usually no more than 150 sq. ft., and come in kits that include pre-cut, pre-punched frame pieces and panels along with a step-by-step instruction manual.  They sometimes even include a video.  These kits are perfect for small spaces and for those that don't have the time and/or energy to devote to either a DIY project or a larger project.  They work well as a place to start seeds and overwinter plants, although they can be a bit small to fully supplement a vegetable garden.  They also work great as a place to maintain flowers and other decoritive plants. Hobby greenhouses typically have extruded aluminum frames and twin wall 4mm polycarbonate, although some have thinner, single wall polycarbonate.  Both coverings are rigid, but the single wall has very little insulation value comparatively. I have chosen to split this article because the above two categories of building are probably going to be the most common for those still hoping to purchase a greenhouse for this year.  In the next part of my article, I'll cover prosumer, cold frame, and full commercial greenhouses. Please check back to find out more about all of these great types of buildings.