Greenhouse for harvest, privacy, and shared fun: “The whole family loves our own tomato bar”

The greenhouse covers 8.2 square meters and has a ridge height of 226 centimeters. With enough empty space there’s room for a raised garden bed, pots, and a small area for work and relaxation. Everything grows neatly in grow bags. Tomatoes and basil are companion plants: both love warmth, nutrients, and regular watering.

Because Finland's weather conditions and the short summer season limit growing possibilities, Jenni Roth and Carl-Gustaf Taubert dreamed of a greenhouse that would ensure a peaceful and successful harvest. They also wanted the greenhouse to outline the kitchen garden and create a beautiful garden section on their property. As professionals in landscape design, as well as surveying and construction, they carried out the entire project themselves.

Lighting conditions and privacy were key elements for the couple when deciding where to place the greenhouse. The plants needed a bright spot, but in a densely populated area, the greenhouse would also offer privacy from the road and neighbors. Jenni and Carl-Gustaf decided on a flat area that already had raised beds and a vegetable plot as the building site.

Installing the screw pile foundation directly into the ground was straightforward. A frame made of pressure-treated wood was set on top of the piles, followed by the metal-framed greenhouse with glass walls. It was crucial to align the piles and wooden frame precisely so the greenhouse sits level and the glass stays stress-free.

Because a perennial root weed, creeping yellow-cress, had spread through the old vegetable plot, Jenni further protected the foundation with a root barrier cloth.

A support structure and decking were built for the greenhouse floor, along with a raised bed for the plants. A slatted wooden false bottom sits at the base the bed. The plan is to grow everything in grow bags, but if needed, the bed can be adapted to a soil base.

The greenhouse floor was insulated with panels so it warms up early in spring and stays warm well into fall. This way the greenhouse helps start the growing period earlier, as well as extend the growing season.

Tomatoes thrive in the new greenhouse.

“We want to encourage our children to learn the value of food through self-grown harvest. The whole family loves our tomato bar. We also like having the greenhouse as a space to sit back and enjoy the privacy,” Jenni says.

The overall design was finished by adding a compact deck area and raised beds around the greenhouse. The deck was built on top of the original moraine soil, and the screw piles were concealed with slatted paneling.

Before the greenhouse was built, the site looked like this

As a landscape designer, Jenni took into consideration how the greenhouse would blend into the surroundings and create an inviting space in the yard. The walls of the aluminum-framed greenhouse are safety glass.

Rainwater is collected from the roof into a barrel which distributes it evenly to the plants with a drip irrigation hose. African lilies add color to the container plantings.

The greenhouse has two roof vents. Jenni bought separate automatic openers so the vents open automatically as the temperature rises.