These days it’s been a bit tough to find the bright spots in the endless cycle of bad news. The saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” keeps coming to mind. The one consistent bright spot for me right now is my greenhouse. It’s been a tough winter even in the normally mild climate of Portland, Oregon. An endless string of dark gray days and freezing nights punctuated by bursts of snow then sun have been the norm this year. Yet despite days of temperatures in the teens, we are growing. We aren’t adding heat to the greenhouse so things are not growing quickly like they will in the spring, but they are growing. A few things we’ve produced include lettuce, celery, tomatoes, Swiss chard and broccoli. We’ve just started peppers, beans, potatoes and more tomatoes.

In response to 9/11, many people turned to their garden for solace and beauty. Creating beauty helped us feel a sense of satisfaction and control. Less than a decade later, we turn again to our gardens. Now it’s not for beauty, it’s for sustenance. In these uncertain times, gardening creates a peace of mind worth much more than dollars spent. Knowing there is a safe, healthy food source can alleviate some of the economy induced stress.

While writing this article I heard a radio commercial advertising seeds for a survival garden. The ad claimed that seeds may become more valuable than gold or silver and having access to non-hybrid seeds may be critical for our very survival. Scare tactics are not what we need, but it is time to start planning and planting. Starting a garden now may be the difference between bounty and scarcity in the coming months and years. Growing your own food is the ultimate gesture of independence and community. It’s a way to take back control and create a positive outcome for our future instead of depending on handouts, bailouts, or copouts.

Growing your own food isn’t just about the economy, it’s about our health. When one of our country’s largest industrial farmers, Monsanto, claims it is not their responsibility to ensure the safety of the food they genetically modify, we have to wonder who will. According to Monsanto, the responsibility lies with the FDA to make sure the food on our table is safe for us to eat. We all know how well the FDA was able to monitor a little peanut facility in Georgia.

So now it’s time for the good news. With a greenhouse, you don’t have to wait for your frost date to pass to start planting. You can start right now to harvest early and late until the fall. Whether you have a large garden or you have limited space, with the right greenhouse you can substantially increase and prolong your harvest and maximize your space.

It All Starts with the Seeds

Most seeds require plenty of heat and moisture to germinate. Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get a jump start on spring. Once seedlings establish roots, they are much more equipped to deal with the cool environment of an unheated greenhouse. With limited indoor space, it’s easy to rotate seedlings into the greenhouse making room for the next crop.

Grow Food in Container Gardens

One of the biggest trends in gardening in the past few years is gardening in containers. Some people have limited garden space so growing on a patio or porch is a great way to extend the garden. Others choose colorful containers to add accents to their yards. Containers and greenhouses make for a perfect marriage. Planted containers utilizing greenhouse heat grow quickly plus rotating containers in and out of the greenhouse maximizes the decorative effect and prolongs the harvest. Often it is possible to continue harvesting as the plant declines. Plants under stress or nearing the end of their life cycle often become highly productive. Some protection may coax the plant into producing a little longer.

Plant for the Season

One of the most exciting experiences of owning a greenhouse is growing something that could not survive your climate. Blooming lemon trees in February, edible bananas or even coffee are examples of tropical plants grown in greenhouses. If you are interested in growing tropical plants, Logee’s and Stokes Tropicals are excellent sources. You can find them online at http://www.logees.com/ and http://www.stokestropicals.com/. Although fun to grow, tropical plants may not be practical if you are more interested in maximum production with limited space. Winter is typically a quiet season in an unheated greenhouse, but it need not be. There are plenty of greens and vegetables that not only will survive the cold but require a cold period for maximum flavor. Many greens started in fall will survive in a greenhouse even when the temperatures are well below freezing. Plants won’t grow much, if at all, when it’s cold, but the existing growth is still available for harvest.

Growing Year Round Maximizes your Rewards

Planting seeds creates large yields and has a multiplier effect. Seeds are inexpensive to purchase and can yield a significant crop. When you utilize greenhouse growing space, you increase your return substantially. Additionally, if you use heirloom seeds, you can easily harvest seeds for your next crop for an unlimited supply. Using the vertical space in your greenhouse with benches or hanging rods, doubles or triples the growing area.

An investment in the tools to grow will reap many rewards. Just as seeds produce a bountiful harvest, money spent on the proper tools will increase that reward substantially. Whether you are an experienced grower or you are planting a garden for the first time, using a greenhouse will increase your yield and the fun. If you haven’t purchased any seeds yet, get some today. The Mail Order Gardening Association is a terrific source for seeds, tools and live plants (http://www.mailordergardening.com/). Many members offer free catalogs and provide planting suggestions. Planting seeds today is one way to guarantee you will have a better tomorrow. Encourage your neighbors to do the same because nothing brings a community together like sharing food. Now that’s change we can believe in.

Michelle Moore is the General Manager of the Greenhouse Catalog where she has worked with greenhouses for 20 years. Michelle writes and lectures about greenhouse gardening as an Oregon State University Master Gardener and member of Garden Writers Association. Michelle is a Fulbright Scholar and earned an International MBA from Thunderbird, School of Global Management. Michelle and her husband live in Oregon, but they enjoy hints of summer all year in their greenhouse! You can contact Michelle at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/.