The Greenhouse

Greetings from NW Georgia.  I hope you've been pouring over the seed catalogs and placing your seed orders in anticipation of your spring and summer garden.  I've placed a couple of orders and look forward to another great summer of fresh garden berries and produce.  Here in the South we can get a bit of a head start when it comes to frost date and planting.  I'm also a bit of an impatient farmer and as a result I've learned some lesson(s) with late frosts and frozen tomato plants. 

In the past, we've started seeds in our basement.  Our plan to expand production, along with the mess and hassle of working in the basement, has caused us to rethink this process.  Our solution to the problem has been to purchase a greenhouse.  We took delivery of the "kit" several weeks ago and I have spent the past several weekends working on assembly.  I'm a bit overwhelmed by the boxes of parts, connectors, tubes. fans, heaters etc.  What looks great in the catalog with smiling well dressed "models" is a huge undertaking to assemble.  So far we have: 

• Measured, squared, laser leveled (thanks Larry Holcomb) and sunk the ground posts for the 12x20 frame.
• Connected the side and end boards
• Run irrigation and electric line for the electrician (not me)
• Spread plastic and then gravel for the floor
• Assembled the end and interior rafters with the some of the hundreds of tek screws.  Tek screws (see photo) are self-tapping screws that are very difficult to install.  It takes several minutes and heavy pressure to get these through two layers of metal.  Keep your cordless drill charged and hope that your arm stays attached.    
• Installed several rafters and the purlins today.

I've had some great help from folks in the building process.  "Paw Paw" (Grandpa Pierce) has been a big help.  He suffered a bad shin scrape while tripping over a ground post and is currently on injured reserve...hope to have him back in time for the Super Bowl.  "Farm Babe" (Mrs. Burns) spent some time today helping me set rafters between taking care of kids and tending to the hens.  Eston has provided excellent company while I'm working and does an great job of hiding the tools.   

The goal is to be finished with this project in the next two weeks.  I need to start plants soon!  Perhaps we'll get some sparkling cider and have a toast inside when we are done.