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(landscaped greenhouse?

I was wondering if one of my brainstorms would be a possibility.

I am thinking of a couple standard gutter connected barn style greenhouses (maybe 40 x 40 or so like two 20 x 40 GHs) built on top of a "sunpit" style greenhouse hole so that a 15 foot peak on the greenhouses would actually be 30-45 feet depending how deeply I dug the areas of the "pit" section. The greenhouse would be built first, at least the footing frame and supports would be sketched on the ground so the structure will still be sitting on "solid ground". Then digging the hole around those makings.

My idea would be to design the inside with hills and a ravine wih a waterfall and stream, basically like a sunken indoor garden with palms, aroids, orchids and CPs planted everywhere in natural looking setting and not confined to pots. Is this possible to set up a greenhouse in this manner?

I'm assume it would be rather similar to a tropics exhibit at a zoo. Is there things to worry about that I'm not thinking of such as more chance of diseases, cave ins, (even with sloping ground and not carved straight down from the inner walls) etc? I realize extra lighting would be needed to illuminate the deeper areas but extra lighting is needed in MN anyway cos we have rather dark and short winter days.

Any ideas? Anyone done this? I'd really love to see pics of anything like this!
 
Hi Josh,

While I have not done anything like this I know that it is possible because I have seen it done at an exotic plants store near Lancaster PA.  This nursery has a very large sunken garden with a waterfall going into a manmade pond if my memory serves me correctly.  They weren't growing and CPs in it but there were some orchids.  The humidity was quite high.  I do think in their situation they would have needed some kind of extra lighting in order to grow CPs.  Overall the place is really cool.  They made a natural looking stone stairway that goes into the sunken garden on one side and out on another.

Matt
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Just go to the St. Paul Como Conservatory (If thats still the name of it.) The Fern house is exactly what your talking about.

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