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A greenhouse built with a mix of recycled and new timber, plus clear polycarbonate roofing.
The project
In October 2021, my mum was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. She was given an estimated 12 months of time left with us. My mum loves orchids. When I was little, she used to always say that before she died, she wanted to have a beautiful white greenhouse and fill it with hundreds of orchids that would all bloom at once and fill the space with beauty.
So, what started as a small idea evolved into something special. I did a lot of drawing, planning, scavenging and lots of research. It has been a truly amazing D.I.Y. project.
The frame was made using 70 x 35mm framing MGP10 H2 Blue Pine.
I sourced all recycled Queenslander casement windows and French doors (approx. 1920’s). Due to my time constraints, I decided to restore each window individually in situ after the greenhouse was built instead of before. This involved removing each pane of glass and scraping out the old putty and replacing with Selleys Linseed Oil Special Putty. I used Hume 18 x 18mm Moulding H3 Treated Pine FJ Primed DAR cut to size around the inside of each window to create a frame and cover any large gaps. Then I sealed it all up with Selleys No More Gaps to make sure there were no draughty winter breezes coming inside.
The base is covered with H3 Treated Pine CCA Fence Palings with Earthwool R4.0 Insulation Ceiling Batts on the inside.
Everything has had quite a few coats of British Paints White 4-in-1 Prep Water Based Primer Sealer Undercoat Paint.
For the roofing, I used Suntuf Clear Corrugated Polycarbonate Roofing and the matching Suntuf Ridge Capping and Suntuf Clearfix Roofing Screws. The guttering is Colorbond Surfmist Quad Guttering attached using a Fielders Zinc Quad Gutter Strap.
I installed a solar panel light attached to an old, recycled chandelier for free nighttime lighting and made some space heaters using Northcote terracotta pots, nuts, bolts and Hobson M12 Hot Dipped Galvanised Threaded Rod heated by 9-hour tea light candles.
My mum loves it, spends a lot of time tinkering around in it and has filled it with many beautiful orchids (thanks Bunnings Keperra, Queensland).
More inspiration for your greenhouse project
Community member Lisa completed a greenhouse build with built-in garden beds which also includes a decked area for potted plants.
Workshop member rattle built a cold frame for winter gardening, ensuring his plants were protected from chilly weather.
Check out our Top 10 most popular outdoor projects for more clever and creative tips.
