There are many ways to raise a vegetable garden and those with a green thumb should look into building a greenhouse if they have the space. Having a greenhouse can extend the growing season, leading to more benefits and less energy drain caused by buying supermarket produce, as well as open up a larger selection of what you can grow. With homekits widely available, it's actually quite easy to set one up.

A greenhouse can give you an extra three to four months of growing time each year by harnessing the power of solar energy. This in turn means that a garden will produce more, decreasing the need to go to a store to purchase fruits and vegetables that are often shipped from across the country and full of pesticides. In addition, greenhouses will protect your plants from natural predators.

The most basic type of greenhouse is simply a plastic covering over the plants. As the function of a greenhouse is to trap and preserve the sun's heat, any sort of clear enclosure will work. For small gardens, kits are available to build portable polythene domes that just go over top of small clusters of plants. They're easy to set up and store, costing roughly $40 -  $100 depending on the model. You can even build your own with PVC pipes and plastic liner for under $25.



For walk-in type greenhouses, prices fluctuate depending on how hands on you want to get. Many people build their greenhouses from scratch out of 2x4s and plastic sheets, creating a very affordable project that will last many years. With blueprints widely available online, this may be the best option for those with time and a passion for building things. Keep in mind, however, that there are usually building restrictions that differ from city to city and while most municipalities allow the building of greenhouses, they cannot exceed certain dimensions without building permits.

For those that don't want to spend weeks hammering away, homekits are also available for larger scale greenhouses. Depending on the size and materials used, the price varies. For a 12x12 feet canopy-style plastic greenhouse kit, prices range from $400-$800. Smaller 8x8 ones are available at Home Depot for $260.. For sturdier glass and metal structure kits they are upwards of $1000.

Whether assembling a kit or building one from scratch, here are some important things to keep in mind:

Choice of building material - With kits, metal frames with glass panels are ideal, however, they cost a premium, often three to five times as much as their plastic counterparts. The advantage is that glass is much more durable and provides better insulation and heat trapping than plastic. Shatterproof polycarbonate is also available for those in places with strong winds. For DIY'ers, wood frames with polythene plastic lining will be able to withstand almost any weather. Using salvaged materials can cut down the cost as well as make the greenhouse that much more eco-friendly.

Location - Greenhouses need direct sunlight so you will need to plan the placement accordingly. Ideally it will be a shade-less spot but as long as it gets a lot of eastern and western exposure it should be fine.

Ventilation - If building your own greenhouse from scratch, depending on what type of plants you want to grow and their required humidity, you will need to plan for vents and air circulation. This could be as simple as adding flaps to the plastic or movable glass panels.

Additional heat - Depending on what you wish to grow, it may be necessary to install a heater to keep temperatures up during the nighttime. The ideal would be a solar powered heater that charges with the sun in day, but it may be cheaper to get a plug in heater for smaller greenhouses.

Irrigation - Having an automated watering system can save a lot of time but you can simply integrate a rainwater collector with it to go even greener.

Whether you're a hobby gardener or a serious horticulturist, incorporating a greenhouse into the garden can have many benefits. Growing your own organic fruit and produce is not only healthier, but also better for the environment. With an option to expand yield and crop choices, it's clear that not all greenhouse effects are bad.

If you want to check out more greenhouse homekits, Homedepot.com actually has a pretty big selection of different models.