Do-It-Yourself Greenhouse

"This is the best little home-built greenhouse around," says Harry Day, Spokane, Wash. "What makes the 12 by 12-ft. structure different is the strength of wood and the way I attach the 20-ft. long, 3/4-in. dia. pvc 'hoops' to the 2 by 6's that run down each side.

"I made the end caps out of wafer board by bending a piece of pipe into a half circle and laying it across three 4 by 8 sheets, which I cut into an arc. Then I cut out squares under the arc for a door and for openings covered by plastic.

"Four 12-ft. 2 by 6's run around the base and a 2 by 4 runs from end to end down the top center, with braces down the wood ends. I also ran a couple 2 by 2 braces down each side, screwed to the pvc pipe with sheetrock screws.

"To attach the pvc hoops, I screwed pvc end caps to the 2 by 6's along each side -- spaced about 2 ft. apart -- and then glued the ends of the pipes into the caps. It holds them very securely and is simple.

"We had 97 inches of snow last year and buildings were collapsing all over Spokane. But not my greenhouse."