Happy Friday GPODers!
We’re back in Richmond, British Columbia today to continue Cherry Ong’s series on her small garden renovation and greenhouse installation. In Part 1 (click the link if you missed it last week), we got an introduction on the project as well as a little backstory on the garden that needed to be removed for the greenhouse to be built. We’re picking up where we left off, with the removal of that beautiful perennial garden, and the preparation and construction of the greenhouse base.
Tree and Plant Removal
Along the same time that our fence was being replaced, we hired professionals to remove lilac trees and other perennials in the bed. It took them half a day and cost us around $6 a square foot. The service included hauling out the specimens and debris but not the removal of the soil.
Photos 1-5 show plant removal, disposal and clean up by the contractor and his crew.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to one plant, much less a whole garden bed. However, sometimes sacrifices must be made for new growth and opportunities.
When battling hard-to-remove plants like trees and mature shrubs, sometimes calling in the professionals is the best option (if it’s available to you). This is particularly helpful in a small space like Cherry’s, to ensure you don’t hurt yourself or surrounding plants.
I can imagine it is also a little less upsetting than having to pull those beautiful plants from the ground yourself!
And just like that, in half of a day, the bed is cleared and a blank slate remains. While it’s sad to say goodbye, the excitement for what is to come must really hit at this point.
Greenhouse Base
Russell Nursery (@russellnursery) provided detailed and helpful advise on site preparation and foundation construction of the greenhouse base: hallsgreenhousesbc.com/foundations/. I was previously concerned about the size of the greenhouse and the base extending to the walkway but I was told this is not an issue structure wise.
One thing we failed to anticipate budget wise was the high cost of the greenhouse base preparation for such a small space. We had quotes that reached up to $80 a square foot for soil removal and gravel placement. Most of the contractors wanted to bring in a small bobcat which jacked up the price of the removal. Our fence contractor was eager to complete the job and he found a subcontractor who performed the service without machinery. They completed the task in 2-3 hours. (Prior to that we removed almost half of the soil.) We took care of soil disposal.
We used 1/2 inch clear crushed rock (drain rock) for the foundation pad. We preferred 3/4 inch but it wasn’t available.
Looks like it passed inspection!
6 inches of crushed rock in the future greenhouse pad. Landscape fabric was placed before the gravel was added.
Foundation is constructed of 4 x 4 pressure treated lumber held together with galvanized 6” by 1/2” lag bolts with washers. The pressure treated lumber is nestled into the bed of crushed rock but the tops must be higher than the finished grade. It was filled with more clear crushed rock. Very very important that the foundation is level and square!
Since our garden is quite small, we were not able to allow for 18 inches of space on the east side of the greenhouse. Typically the pad of the greenhouse should be 18 inches or larger on all side than the greenhouse so that you can easily walk around the greenhouse to clean and maintain it.
Greenhouse Selection
For the greenhouse, after shopping around, I fell in love with a UK-made Halls Greenhouse at Russell Nursery in North Saanich, BC. The model we chose is a Supreme 8’ x 6’ which features a dark green painted aluminum frame, a single sliding door, roof vent, clear glass glaze with the curved sides paneled with 4.5 mm polycarbonate. The COVID pandemic affected the glass supply chain for our greenhouse so we waited 2 years. Nathan from Russell Nursery was wonderful in educating and supporting us before, during and after our build.
The photos below show various greenhouses and accessories on display at Russell Nursery. I was really interested in efficient storage so I also looked at various plant stands for greenhouses. I have received many questions about the plant stands on social so I thought including shopping photos would help show your readers what is available and possible.
The plant stand many have asked me about…
Potting table extension on the top – I don’t know any avid gardener who wouldn’t want to extra space!
Moreover, any avid gardener would also appreciate a dedicated potting table inside or outside the greenhouse!
More to come! Thank you.
Thank you, Cherry! I couldn’t think of a better series to get the creative juices flowing for spring projects. Next week we will cover the greenhouse assembly, so if you’re thinking about adding a greenhouse to your garden this year be sure to stay tuned for Part 3.
And if you have any major garden projects you’d like to share with the blog, we’d love to see and hear about the garden dreams that you made a reality. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places
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