Constructing a greenhouse kit

Late last year I started putting together a 6x8 greenhouse kit that my son Matt had given me.  It was complex, with hundreds of pieces that had to fit together exactly right. Sooooo frustrating! I gave up when I got to the roof. It was way over my head… 

It stayed half finished without a rooftop or door all winter long. Then in early spring this year a couple of friends, Brian and Thomas, came over and spent a whole day working on it. I could tell they were frustrated with the exasperating instructions but they kept at it until they were finished. They did a wonderful job, and the greenhouse will last for many years. Thank you guys!

Brian and Thomas, determined to get this greenhouse together.

I had built the base with 2x8s in such a way that I have two long growing beds with a path down the center. The first thing I did after the roof was on was plant one of the beds full of arugula, spinach and lettuce. They grew like crazy in no time and stayed tender and bug free throughout several weeks of harvesting. I am looking forward to growing greens in there this fall, and to see how long they last in the winter. Gotta keep the cat out of there, though, because he wants to use the beds as gigantic litter boxes.

I realized the most important thing to remember when feeling overwhelmed by a large number of mix-and-match pieces and convoluted directions: Take it slow. Lay out all the pieces and number them with a sharpie marker. Think

several steps ahead before attaching anything. Break it down to small daily steps, a few pages at a time if you don’t have help and you don’t want to feel too frustrated. And one other thing. When the instructions state that you need two people to do something, know that for sure you need two people.

Fresh greens in my new greenhouse.

When I initially laid out and marked all the parts, I realized my second-hand kit was missing several pieces. I was concerned because I had no idea how old the kit is or if I could even get parts. So I emailed the company and was impressed with their prompt and courteous response. My overall opinion of the Palram greenhouse company is favorable. Despite the outrageously expensive parts and shipping, and the exhaustive instructions (60 pages, 8 1/2 x 11!) the customer service is excellent. For me, that’s the most critical element when I’m considering doing business with a company: customer service. And the quality of the product, of course. I have high hopes for this little greenhouse, despite how flimsy it felt during construction. I think the durability was designed somewhere in that crazy construction by an engineer (or a mad scientist!). I know someone whose same greenhouse kit is now more than 10 years old and still holding up well. 

Special thanks to Matt Thomas for the kit, and to Brian Porter and Thomas Johnson for getting the roof and door put together.