Garden Construction Project: Building a Hoop House PART 3 (of 3)

With *snow* in the forecast, it was high time to do the finishing touches on the hoop house! We have not had fall yet this year...the leaves are still green on the trees and we still have some flowers in bloom like this rose by the patio. It's one I got at the grocery store a few years ago as a house plant, but it's been very happy to live outside year round. There are peppers to bring in from the garden too.

So, when I left off with the construction posts, the next step was to build and hang the doors. The doors came out really well after some aggravating planing here and there. Outside, with the hinges and latch showing.

And inside, showing the diagonal supports. I need to put a hook and eyescrew on the inside so I can keep the door closed when I'm inside.

The door on the back wall is the same.

Then, we had to create the roll up ventilation with pipe, clips, crank and some anti billow cord. The entire side can be rolled up at once! It will stay up too, with the handle braced on the edge of the end wall, but I think it's a good idea to put clamps on a couple of the ribs along the length just to add a little support for the roll up part to rest on.

This picture shows the crank. We have it held off the ground with a loop of rope. I wouldn't want it to be frozen into the ground on the first warm days of spring when we need to open the house up! There is plastic at the ends of the ventilation section to prevent any major drafts getting in under the ventilation flap.

A view of the side showing the ventilation set up and the anti billow cord laced down the side. Look how tight the plastic gets when the weather gets chilly!

Inside, there are some finishing touches to do like the hooks for the doors. I need to level the ground for my potting bench, but am just too pregnant for that amount of digging right now! You can see my coat/tool rack on the potting bench. I need to hang that on the end wall.

Of course, there needs to be a lot of planting too!!! I have gotten too pregnant to do much of that or much weeding. Also, we have been dealing with the moth/caterpillar attack. At least there is some greenery in there. Most of it I planted, but a few tomatoes volunteered and I have left them growing to see how they take the cold.

Parsley.

Cilantro (some of which will go in a chili later today!) and basil.

Carrots. I'm hoping for some super sweet cold weather carrots for xmas!

Radishes.

Swiss Chard, both Fordhook Giant and Bright Lights varieties.

A view down the middle bed showing German Winter thyme in the box, Evergreen Bunching scallions, marjoram, par-cel and various herbs, Winterbor kale, dill, fennel...

My beets, spinach, broccoli and broccoli raab are trying to grow, but have suffered the most from caterpillar attack. Next year, I will use organic treatments to try to protect them better. Johnny's Seeds has suggested I use Dipel.

It has been quite the adventure to build, but we are so happy with the results. I know we are going to use it a lot. I hope it holds up well and doesn't need much more maintenance than a new 'skin' each season...I'll keep you posted, of course!

Now, it's back to house construction...working on the nursery project. I hope to have a post about that in the near future. That cutesy due date countdown ticker in the corner of the page is becoming a little stressful with all the work that needs doing. Let's hope he's not an early baby!!