Getting Started With Greenhouse Gardening

From rooftops to cold-weather zones, three gardeners show you how they've used compact greenhouses to create thriving gardens.

- by DEBBIE WOLFE

Rooftop Ready

A beginner used a greenhouse in the sky to create a bounty of produce.

When Melissa Geurts moved into a Jersey City, NJ, apartment with rooftop access, she had one basic goal: grow something—anything. Then her green thumb kicked in. Despite her having no prior gardening experience, one successful lettuce bed turned into a greenhouse filled with strawberries, eggplant, potatoes, and more. “When I was little, I spent hours running through the fields on my grandma’s farm,” she says. “My rooftop gardening felt like an attempt to reconnect with that feeling.” Using a basic greenhouse and supplies bought online, Melissa began to learn through trial and error how much could thrive in a compact covered space. “My grandma would have laughed at some of my mistakes, but I think she’d be proud,” she says.

Melissa Geurts (@melissageurts) is group executive creative director at Good Housekeeping and a rooftop gardening enthusiast.

WATCH AND LEARN. Check plants daily to see what they need; watering and trimming at the right times can make all the difference in small spaces.

START WITH SIMPLE CROPS. Choose easy-to-grow vegetables like lettuce, scallions, strawberries, and potatoes in varieties that reward consistent care and don’t demand perfect conditions.

PROTECT PLANTS FROM RAIN AND WIND. Set up your greenhouse in a spot that will keep plants sheltered from heavy rain and strong winds, creating a more stable growing environment.

WHEN-TO-GROW GUIDE

Root Vegetables

Plant in March—radishes, carrots, and beets can go into beds or deep containers now. They are hardy and sprout quickly.

Peas

Early March—snap peas and snow peas thrive in cool temps and climb beautifully. Get them in early for a sweet harvest.