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After thinking more about the greenhouse, I have made some changes to the original design I sent. It is probably best to not have seating or arbors around the perimeter of the greenhouse as it increases the possiblity of someone or something accidentally ripping the plastic. However 2 steel benches at an angle on each side of the walkway entering the greenhouse would be a nice area to add seating and frame the entrance nicely. Rather than grapes on arbors, we can plant perrenial native flowers that attract pollinators along the outside walls and within the bark barrier to prevent weeds and keep it low maintenance. It will be pretty and practical.
I have adjusted the beds sizes a bit here and there to allow adequate work space in front. While this is a complete overhaul of the beds, the soil will now be healthy, easy to maintain with a simple 2 inch top dressing of compost each year and will need far less water. The entire greenhouse and the surrouning barrier will be weed free! Planting and plant removal will be very easy as the soil will continually remain light and fluffy. No one will step in the beds compacting the soil as they will now be raised and have clear, mud and weed free paths. The bark and brick will be attractive and will only need a light refresher every few years. All materials are suitable for an organic operation and all furniture and storage will be attractive and long lasting. And while the total cost may seem a bit daunting, this is a complete overhaul of the beds, exterior and interior of the greenhouse and...you get my help for free PRICELESS! wink, wink.
In regards to how to move forward, the remaining kale, and collard greens can be harvested, blanched and frozen in zip lock bags for the school's later use in soups, egg dishes etc. The strawberries and few herbs that remain can be put into pots to transplant. I will handle that part. All remaining plants can be pulled...It would be a nice start to our compost pile. The irrigation and plastic can be pulled, all storage items, furniture, tools etc. can be removed. The soil from the beds can be moved to the patio area on top of that rubber mat, being careful to have removed all plant matter from it first. We will be mixing the clean soil with a mixture of composted manure, peat moss, vermiculite, worm castings and fish manure...should smell great! LOL.
After the soil from the beds is removed, we can level every thing out and cover the whole thing with cardboard and weedblock...that is alot of appliance boxes, so we definitely need to be on the lookout for those. Or we could buy some, however that is not listed in my budget. This will smother all weeds, add organic material to the beds themselves, and get rid of any need to till. Tommy, you're welcome ;-) The beds will need to be built. It is an easy process, but will take a bit. They could all be finished and installed in a couple of hours if we have 2 or 3 people helping. We will need cordless drills for this. Once the beds are in place and the csoild amendments are on hand, we can mix the soil fill the beds. The irrigation system can be put back in and adjusted as necessary for the new bed size and the 2 additional 18 inch beds on the edges will need irrigation as well.
Once all the beds are complete, we can bring in the bark. We can keep the rubber floor liner under the seating and put several inches of bark on top to keep it looking uniform and neat, or we can remove the rubbler flooring and stick with cardboard and landscape fabric. Whatever you think is best. Furniture can then be brought in. Tools and supplies can be organized into the new shelves, storage benches and hanging rack and patio lights can be hung. The strawberries and herbs can be replanted as well.
Cardboard and fabric will be lined all around the greenhouse and a walkway will be made toward the street. I did not account for bricks to line that path as I need measurements and we could always use rocks from around the property as the bricks are might spendy. If we can collect enough rocks, (it is alot) we can line the whole thing and skip the bricks...but it's far easier to have a couple of pallets of bricks delivered. I leave that up to your discrection as well and keep in mind the additional pallet of bricks to line a pathway to the street will cost an additional $658. But again, it will look finished and be easy to maintain. Flowers and ornamental grasses can now be planted around the greenhouse. And the beds are ready to be planted as soon as you are ready.
These are my thoughts on how to complete this project as efficiently as possible. Please let me know your thoughts and I look forward to helping you create a beautiful and bountiful space!
Materials List and Cost Analysis
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Outer Perimeter and inner walkways: Total Cost = $1640
11 yards of Natural Bark (We need to cover 1135 sq ft with natural bark (no dyes or chemicals- One yard of mulch covers about 108 square feet at 3 deep) *$500 delivered
1 pallet of bricks (175 feet of Brick= 260 8in bricks) - Mission Tumbled 8 in. x 4 in. x 2.25 in. Clay Red Paver pallet contains 255 bricks - use rocks for the corners = $658
3 pks 60' ft Vigoro No Dig plastic Edging - $40 X 3 = $120
9 bags of Quikrete 50 lb. Fast-Setting Concrete Mix $5.80 X 9 = $53
1 - RSI 3 ft. x 300 ft. Polypropylene Commercial All Weather Landscaping Ground Cover(380 feet of 3ft wide weed barrier needed for greenhouse and extra to street) = $140
1- https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwest-Boulder-Stone-6-ft-x-300-ft-of-20-Year-Guarantee-Heavy-Duty-Commercial-Grade-Weed-Barrier- = $170
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20 year Raised Beds with complete soil amendments: Total Cost = $1560
380 feet of untreated 1X4 cedar = 48 8ft boards https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-4-in-x-8-ft-S1S2E-Cedar-Board-6-Pack 6 pack of cedar boards $52X8=$416
1- 8ft 2x2 - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Alexandria-Moulding-Douglas-Fir-S4S-Mixed-Grain-Board-Common-2-in-x-2-in-x-96-in =$11
1 box of galvanized screws -https://www.homedepot.com/p/Grip-Rite-7-x-2-in-Phillips-Bugle-Head-Coarse-Thread-Sharp-Point-Polymer-Coated-Exterior-Screws-1-lb-Pack- = $9
Plastic sheeting to line the cedar boards inside of the beds for extra durability https://www.homedepot.com/p/HUSKY-4-ft-x-100-ft-Clear-4-mil-Plastic-Sheeting =$17
1 box of staples Galvanized-Steel-Staples-1-250-Pack-506/100055916 =$4
vermiculite $600
peat moss $ 200
1 yard of Manure $100
worm castings $100
fish manure $100
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Outside Items: Total Cost = $620 *Please see Note# 2 below
3 Compost bins for kitchen scraps, garden waste, leaf litter, grass clippings - https://www.gardeners.com/buy/three-bin-wire-composter/40-280.html - $120
24 solar ground lights for entrance walkway and around perimeter of front and left side - $100
2-4 ft steel benches https://www.walmart.com/ip/ABBLE-STEEL-GARDEN-BENCH/544000854 2X$99 = $200
Native Perennial Polinators around the outside of the greenhouse within the bark border $200* See Note #2 below
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Inside Items: Total Cost = $1385 *Please See Note #2 & #3
2-Storage shelves for rear wall https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lavish-Home-5-Tier-Wood-Storage-Shelving-Rack-with-Removable-Cover-83-13-5/205538559 2X$53 = $106
Proper Hooks for hanging tools on back wall and shelf brackets - $20
2 -water resistant storage benches for row covers, plastic etc, & xtra seating in front wall-https://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncast-Java-134-Gal-Resin-Wicker-Deck-Box 2-$141 = $282
Small metal Stations of the Cross Plaques - $15
3 - strands of outdoor patio lighting for inside the greenhouse in the evening =$120
4 ft round patio table and chairs - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-High-Garden-5-Piece-Black-Steel-Padded-Sling-Slat-Top-Round-Outdoor-Patio-Dining-Set- $509* See Note #2
2 sturdy bistro sets with 2 chairs and small table - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Tottenham-Outdoor-Black-Bistro-Set/49961868 2 x $165= $330 * See Note #3
*Electrical outlets near the seating areas for computers/phones etc.
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Total Greenhouse Makeover Cost = Approximately $5,225 It will be an easy to maintain, bountiful and beautiful space to be enjoyed and treasured for decades to come.
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*Notes:
1. Here is a list of some of the native flowers that could be planted: Golden alexanders (Zizia aurea), wild columbine, wild lupine and foxglove for early bloom. Among the many good midseason flowers are anise hyssop, black-eyed Susan, coneflower, milkweed, bergamot, coreopsis and cardinal flower. New England asters, brown-eyed Susan, ironweed, goldenrod, Joe-Pye weed, and closed or bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) are recommended to feed the bees until frost, as they try to provision their winter nests.
2. Tables and Chairs for student to study, play games, etc need to be all weather and very sturdy. Steel is the preferrable material as it is sturdy and low maintenance & easy to clean.
3. The seating sets I found were discounted and am not sure how long that will last...was a bit shocked at the price of outdoor seating these days so if this is approved, we want to order them quickly.
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