A Tour of Joyce and Joel Hood's Upcycled Greenhouse

417 Home: What inspired you to create the greenhouse?   
Joyce Hood: Once we got the garden planted the first year, we realized it was so inconvenient to trek back and forth to the garage, so we planned to build a storage shed. Well, that storage shed became a greenhouse idea, and Joel started looking for inspiration. Living in [the Rountree neighborhood], so many of us have a mindset to reuse and upcycle.

417 Home: Can you tell us about the reclaimed material you used?
J.H.: We had many of the windowpanes already, but after laying them out on the driveway in a rough fit, we realized we needed more and some with varied sizes and pane patterns. The windows we didn’t have, we shopped for. There are so many cute flea markets nearby. We shopped on the cheap didn’t spend even $20 for any one of them. The door is actually a French door set we had in [my daughter’s old] bedroom. Most of the other materials were things we had here. For example, the slate roof tiles were from the old Hood-Rich Architects and Engineers building the family had just sold. The siding inside is simply upcycled pallet wood.

417 Home: What are some of your favorite features of the greenhouse?
J.H.: The counter was my special request. I wanted something long so I could put an enormous sink in with a wood top. Since we don’t have running water out there, I wasn’t too worried about damaging the surface. After all, it is a greenhouse, and there’s lots of dirt around. The huge sink pretty much holds the messy stuff so I don’t have to leave it on the counter. I love having all my hand tools right in front of me on the wall. Being an avid home cook, I like things neat and organized and easy to get to.

417 Home: Can you tell us more about your garden?
J.H.: I’ve had many gardens over the years. This by far is my favorite and most bountiful. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve harvested several hundred tomatoes each summer, bagged and frozen more green beans and spinach than my freezer could hold. This little greenhouse just makes the work less like work and more like relaxation. It’s so peaceful and calming. Tucked in that corner there are so many bees and butterflies and birds singing. One can’t help but want to sit down and just stay for a while.