There is one main area of my
yard that is suitable for
raised garden beds, on the south side of a
fence. It's a space of about 30' by 12'. (We just moved in late July, and have the materials to build the beds, but have not done so yet.) This is in E. Texas, Zone 8a/b -- so normally down to 20s (13 last winter), and an early spring.
Would it be insane to pop a large hoop-house type structure over this area (20x10, or 30x10), and put the beds inside of it? I was planning to do a
greenhouse already, but had this idea while trying to figure out where to put it and what sort of containers I would use inside of it. (Of
course it would need to be removed or greatly modified once the weather warmed up in spring.) It would be protected from wind on 3 sides.
I am hoping to grow some cool weather crops, and with the insecure food situation accelerating, it seems prudent to get a bigger jump on things than just starting seedlings in late winter/early spring.
The other option is to do a smaller, free-standing
greenhouse in the middle of the yard (awkward, but necessary for sunlight), or a lean-to greenhouse against the long south-facing brick wall of the house (which is mostly windowless). I like the idea of using the thermal mass of the house with a lean-to style greenhouse, but we occasionally get wild hogs on the property and I can't build anything solid right now. That would mean putting in a
fence of some type to protect it, which gets a bit more complicated than I think I can handle at the moment. But if it would be hugely more beneficial, I would try....
I realize we could also do individual hoops with plastic sheeting over each raised bed, but I thought the larger structure might make things a little simpler and also provide a fun place for the family to hang out on colder winter days. (Although I realize that 20 F/-6 C is a laughable cold for many!
I would be grateful for any wisdom, suggestions, or even completely different ideas you might have!