A New Greenhouse for the Garden

In 2017, Comal Master Gardeners (CMG), Mike and Donna Welch, donated a greenhouse kit to the master gardeners ushering in a new component to the vegetable garden.  Now the gardeners could grow their own seedling varieties whenever they wanted and they were no longer dependent on expensive seasonal plants from retail nurseries.  

The first few years at the greenhouse were mostly trial and error as the volunteers learned how to propagate plants for the vegetable garden.  Those first volunteers had a covered greenhouse structure to house their plants, but it was a very rudimentary set up.  They had no electricity so they had no supplemental lights, heat or fans, and they even had to walk across the parking lot to get water for their seedlings. 

Gradually season after season, as time went on, they added electricity and water.  The volunteers experimented, took classes and learned how to grow strong, healthy plants.  The greenhouse program now supplies all of the spring and fall seedlings for the CMG vegetable garden, the New Braunfels school gardens, and for the Westside community gardens.  

Unfortunately, as time went on, the greenhouse began to show its age–cracks in the joints, holes in the roof, and the whole structure became a bit unstable.  Last year we began to consider the prospect of getting a new greenhouse.  

This picture shows an old greenhouse at the beginning of being taken down by four people working together and one person looking on at their progress.

Out with the old…

We are now closer to building a brand-new greenhouse.  In the last year, the county judge approved expanding the greenhouse a few more feet.  A local custom builder, TA French, agreed to build the greenhouse at cost.  A local designer donated the greenhouse blueprints.  Walter Mott offered to do the electrical work and the garden crew of Richard VonderEmse, Kelly Morgan, Dwayne Rolniak, James Penrod, and Larry Nickle will help with the prep and finish work.  Total cost is approximately $24,000.

This picture shows where the old greenhouse used to be standing and now in its place is just a granite base and a few pipes. You can see the garden workbench area in the background.

The granite base is ready for construction to begin!

If you would like to donate towards the greenhouse, large or small, there is a donation button in the sidebar to make it easy for you.  Check back for updates!