Garden Bed Greenhouse

I had been searching ever since the garden beds had finished construction for an attractive solution for a greenhouse. Wanting to keep my neighborhood appeased I needed a solution that would look professional and definitely not an eye sore. I also wanted a solution that would be reusable and easy to set up.

I tried for a few weeks to create a simple hoop house by bending EMT conduit but I was unable to get repeatable results. I set up jigs with screws and plywood and tried using a pipe bender without repeatable results.

After much searching I found “canopy fittings”, pre-bent and welded connectors for canopys and tents. I ordered a few to try them out on one bed. I needed 6 end fittings and 3 intermediate fittings to cover one bed. I used 3/4″ EMT from the local hardware store to connect the fittings and create the frame of the bed.

I ordered some greenhouse plastic and laid it over the frame.

I tried attaching the plastic to the frame. I tried wiggle wire and thin walled PVC to get the plastic to get the plastic to take the shape of the frame.

I took a treated 1×6 and attached it to the frame using EMT brackets, then screwed the wiggle wire onto the board.

Once the wiggle wire was installed I could install a roll-up bar on the sides of the bed. The plastic drapes down to the bottom of the bed held in place by a metal bar that runs the length of the bed. When I need to vent the greenhouse, I would roll the bar up, bringing the plastic with it, and let fresh air in.

Some garlic I planted last fall has sprouted. I’ve also transplanted Lettuce, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts out to the bed.

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