Greenhouses...

I have always wanted a greenhouse...I use a cold frame which consists of a plywood and 2x4 box with a recycled glass door for a cold frame...the bottom is open to the dirt, the plants are started in the basement under a $10.00 shop light and transferred into this box, which faces South... in March...

from March to June...my lil plants go crazy in there! they go so crazy that the box is soon over run with plants that want OUT!  Sooo...even though I am stuck in Wyoming with no garden this spring I have been researching green house ideas...






This one is one of the best representations...cost wise...that I have ever seen!

It comes from this site...http://ana-white.com/2012/05/plans/barn-greenhouse  which is a fantastic representation of DIY!

She has plans for EVERYTHING!  materials lists, detailed instructions and plenty of advice to boot! I priced this lil gem...her plans represent about $700 in materials...

BUT...I have a cost saving idea...

To frame the bottom...use pallets! My favorite recycled building material...I drove round the area I am in...there are no less than 1000 pallets on any given day...destined for the land fill....

Lay a treated landscape timber (which are a really inexpensive alternative to a 4x4) down with flat side up...put the full shipping pallet on the top of the landscape timber, screw it to the timber every 4 inches...attach each corner of the pallet with small bolts or screws... and then sheet it with the metal roofing...

Pallets make a nice straight wall and are super sturdy!

Duck fence

Tip:  Roofing companies sell or discard the outer packing sheets of metal roofing...which...are sheets of metal roofing! Free or cheap instead of new...I got most of the tin panels for my shed for free! from a roofing job that was being done on a bar in my area...

Landscape timber/pallet framing on shed

Take some pallets apart and use the 2x4's to frame the rest of the wall as tall as you want...I would not go with the gambrel/barn roof...cuz...well...my carpentry skills are not very good! lol! and the gable roof would cut down on the amount of lumber needed... I would just build the wall up with 2x4 general framing and lay a top plate around the whole thing....and go with a simple gable roof with the corrugated plastic sheeting horizontal on the 2x4 wall framing...and then vertical on the roof...to shed rain and snow...

This guy made a house out of pallets...

http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/tag/pallet-house/

Roof framing has been incredibly difficult for me to learn..I have the hang of it now but still not quite comfy with the idea of doing it by myself...but we all know SOMEONE that may be willing to help with this project....and my Hubby seems to think this would be a very simple one!

Simple roof design

All in all...my estimation of cost if I used the gleaned pallets and free scrap wood...and a free/cheap/recycled tin sheeting...it would cut the cost to about $200.00 for the corrugated plastic sheets...and screws...maybe some clear caulking...


Considering the expense of greenhouses today? I thought this one was a very nice looking and inexpensive, sturdy greenhouse...

Go way snow! 

SUPER EASY FREE PALLET COUNTERTOPS AND MOLDING!

When we decided to put counter tops in our kitchen...it wasn't hard to decide that we were NOT going with standard issue kitchen ware...we, of course, wanted free, charming, handmade ones! There was one tiny cupboard and of course the Hoosier bottom in there when we first got the house...no counter top space at all and no storage....

The molding on the ceiling was cheap standard molding used to cover up the ceiling tile seams but the molding on the bottom near the floor was gorgeous 8" mop board from way back when...the quarter round had been removed but other than that it was in beautiful shape...We tore all the top molding out to get to the bead board ceiling and used some of the scrap on the cupboards...so where do you get free counter tops, molding, storage...space to prep food?

PALLETS!

Mostly big item pallets..NOT.the the standard 4x8 shipping pallet....but ones with long boards?  you can get them from Automotive Paint shops and Automotive Body shops that do repair on wrecked cars...

These are waaaaay easier to take apart as they do not have the horrid grabby nails that most standard pallets have and they are gorgeous 2x4x10 and 1x4x10 boards...no dog legs...:)

My Honey started with a basic frame screwed directly to the wall...we have all solid wood walls but with a stud finder, you could screw them to the wall by finding  the studs....I have to remind everyone...we have absolutely NO building skills...we search on the net for answers to our questions and then try our luck...my Honey is very adaptable and has learned wiring, plumbing and building with little help other than books, the net and by word of mouth information...so if we can do this? Anyone with imagination can!

Same for the other side of the sink...He then screwed a 1x8x6 foot board for a face board across the front to match the sink skirt...you could always laminate the 1x4's together too...and attached the found table legs by screwing them to the wall....they do NOT support the counter tops in any way..they are solely decorative....

On the other side...since we decided on a shelf...he did the exact same thing in a smaller proportion...

brace attached to front 2x4 of frame as there was no support on this side

and screwed 1x4 slats 1/4" apart along the shelf....

He then screwed 1/2" plywood to the tops of both sides...

The other side...we left open for somewhat of a breakfast bar....

Again..the table legs are purely decorative and hold nothing up...you can stand on these...we did it...lol!

A little paint.....

And one very large drawer with casters to keep dog and cat hair out....

And you have an almost free (paint cost and screws ($28.00) charming set of kitchen countertops....

Ikea has solid  wood 2" butcher block pieces up to 8' long for $80.00...they would look gorgeous in this kitchen...and they would fit nicely lipped up against the sink....AND...you would have TWO beautiful cutting boards with the excess....attach handles and you could hang them up out of the way!

As far as the molding? we went with what was normal for the house....1x4 boards around the top....all from pallets....

We also gleaned scraps of 1/4 round from the city compost pile to put back around the mop boards on the floor....you can also get these directly from a wood molding shop...they throw out tons!

This is exactly what the kitchen looked like....when I left....

Right before I gave away the house....

2011 in a nutshell....

I am trying to catch up with 2011 so you all know what I was doing....the season was a fabulous one in the gardens and I learned many new skills!  I still have to expound upon the virtues of sheet mulching...this is the garden in 2010...

This is the flower garden in 2011...

I revamped this garden with the new doo dads I got from the salvage yard for two ducks! I didn't plant anything in this garden this year...except for sunflower seeds....

This is all what came up out of the dirt in June!

I haven't weeded....watered....NOTHING!

There were flowers in there that I planted in 2010 that came up this year...forgot about them!

It was absolutely gorgeous and offered a cutting garden that filled the house daily with fresh flowers....

In addition...the veggie garden was fantastic!

Onions...

 I am still learning how to plant in succession so I have fresh vegetables and then have another crop for storage in the fall...

I got some interesting vegetables this year...my Honey called this one the "MAN" squash....

I have seen many of these hanging from the pick ups in Texas........BAAAAAAAHAAAA! 

The crops came in in 5 gallon buckets and bushel apple baskets....

The girls loved to take dust baths....

We also went and picked up a small chicken coop made by George Neill that we thought would be an excellent rabbit hutch! His skill at building this little hutch made me smile! It's soooo cute!

We moved the duck pen and made a bigger one...complete with a pallet fence....

My Honey rebuilt the foundation on the back porch and we took the walls down to add electricity...

We did, however, take SOME time out to enjoy the beautiful summer afternoons...

When fall rolled around...I took First Place in the Antique Tractor Pull....at Pumpkin Fest!

I also learned the art of bartering...hee hee! I received two free freezers...big ones! I put them in the shed and filled them to overflowing...the first thing I bartered for was meat...I gave the neighbor all the squash and zuchini he could put in his pick up...and in return, he promised me a certain amount of meat for the winter...he baits the bears and deer with these fruits...

yep...and here he is....I didn't get to see the deer..it came in a box....roasts, brats, sausage and steaks....

I also traded Apple Butter Jam for Apples...thirty 5 gallon buckets full! and made apple butter, apple sauce and Crap Apple Butter....

 OH! and Rhubarb...and Blackberries!

This Rhubarb made the best Rhubarb salad dressing I have ever tasted! it also makes awesome sauce for Pork Roast!

My neighbor gave me plums and I canned 7 quarts of Plum Sauce for use on Duck! YUM!

Can't forget Mayonnaise...nothing beats it fresh with a hint of garlic...

I learned how to make Artisan bread from fresh ground wheat berries...we ate the whole loaf in one sitting it was so good!

We of course butchered chickens and ducks for the winter....and I sold some at a whopping forty bucks a piece for Thanksgiving!

Winter rolled around and we had so much food!

and too much snow!