Backyard Greenhouse Kits for Home Gardeners

We usually start with the coldest month you want to use the greenhouse. For seed-starting, rain protection, and harvests later into fall, the Growzebo™ (coming soon!) gives you a bright three-season space with an open floor. If January greens are part of the picture, the 15-, 18-, and 22-foot Growing Dome® kits add insulation, heat storage, ventilation, and undersoil air circulation.

If you are comparing a home greenhouse for spring and fall with an all-season greenhouse for winter harvests, look beyond square footage. Ask how the structure handles night temperatures, winter sun, snow at your site, and the amount of growing room you want inside.

The Growzebo's six-sided wood frame encloses approximately 167 square feet, about 16 feet across. Its 16 mm, 5-wall polycarbonate creates a bright interior, and an automatic roof vent releases heat without using grid power. The high center and open floor leave room for beds, benches, a potting area, or a couple of chairs.

The Growzebo is worth a close look when you want to start earlier, harvest later, and step out of changing weather in a cool to mild climate. The open floor is yours to arrange. If winter harvests or higher snow requirements are central to the plan, compare a Growing Dome next.

Above 7,500 feet in Pagosa Springs, our six demonstration domes stay in use year-round. Each Growing Dome in this collection pairs a geodesic frame and 16 mm, 5-wall polycarbonate with reflective north-wall insulation, an above-ground pond, automatic vents, a hybrid fan, and solar-powered undersoil air circulation.

On sunny days, the pond stores warmth for cooler hours. The north-wall insulation reflects low winter sunlight back toward the plants and pond. Automatic vents and the fan release built-up heat, while the undersoil system circulates air through pipes beneath the perimeter beds.

If you are planning an all-season home greenhouse, start winter with cold-tolerant vegetables and watch how the Dome responds to your sunlight and weather. Tomatoes, peppers, and other warm-season crops may need supplemental heat and grow lights through dark winter periods. Snow ratings vary by Dome size, configuration, and foundation. Review the weather ratings and use the climate calculator to narrow the right size and configuration for your site.

At approximately 167 square feet, the Growzebo is close in footprint to the 175-square-foot, 15-foot Growing Dome. Step inside, though, and the spaces feel different. The Growzebo keeps the floor open for beds, worktables, or seating. In the Growing Dome, the above-ground pond occupies some of the floor area and serves as thermal mass.

Need more room? The 18- and 22-foot Growing Domes provide 255 and 380 square feet. Terry Melim's 22-foot Dome in Derry, New Hampshire, holds a loveseat, lights, and her own artwork alongside a year-round garden. See Terry's greenhouse.

For options beyond 380 square feet, compare all six Growing Dome sizes.

Choose a well-drained site with enough sun for the months you plan to grow. If winter harvests are part of the plan, check the shade pattern in December. Then check delivery access, setbacks, HOA rules, and permit requirements. Use the site selection guide to walk the property before you order.

The Growzebo is designed for straightforward DIY installation. You supply the foundation, anchoring, foundation wall, and insulation. Do not install it where the ASCE 7 ground snow load exceeds 25 psf or the basic wind speed exceeds 115 mph. The wind limit assumes Exposure C and Risk Category II. Ask the local building department to confirm the design basis and foundation requirements before ordering.

Growing Dome kits arrive pre-cut, pre-drilled, and color-coded. You will purchase some foundation, pond, and undersoil materials locally; raised beds, soil, irrigation, freight, and installation are separate. Review the owner-supplied items and installation options as you set the project budget and schedule.