is obviously a matter of scale; a backyard or hobby greenhouse is intended to grow food and flowers for a single household or for sharing with a small group of friends and family, while commercial production is designed for profit. With that in mind, designing a small scale greenhouse can be just as exacting as preparing a business plan for a commercial enterprise. With growing interest in community gardens and small-scale food production, the popularity of custom-built growing spaces and greenhouse kits has also mushroomed. While building costs for custom greenhouses can vary greatly from one geographic location to another, and size is often a determining factor in budgeting for a personal greenhouse, a simple 5X5-foot plastic greenhouse complete with wire shelving to hold growing pots can be ordered online for around $100. A simple 6x8-foot redwood greenhouse kit with polycarbonate panels and a vented roof might run $2,500 to $3,000, but assembly and installation would not be included.
Choosing a greenhouse design and selecting appropriate materials can be the biggest hurdle to getting started with a home greenhouse. If you possess any basic gardening knowledge, learning how to grow favorite vegetables and fruits in a greenhouse would be the easy part, and any reputable nursery, garden club or university extension center offers a wealth of information and assistance for the novice.
