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Windowsill greenhouse... Ideas?

Sig

Eats genetically engineered tomatoes
I have a kitchen windowsill that faces south and has a brick wall jutting out about a foot and a half on both sides. Given the cost of materials and the upkeep expenses during the winter for a normal greenhouse, I was wondering how difficult it would be to build a "windowsill" greenhouse that extends from the end of the brick walls into the window, the window being the opening. I'm thinking that this way there wouldn't be 200 dollar a month heating costs in the winter, because of house heat, plus the heat trapped by the sun. Is this plausible? I imagine it couldn't hold too many plants, but if it worked it seems easy to maintain (accepting the possibility I'm totally wrong).

I can't find anything with plans on how to do it, so I was wondering if you have ever heard of this, or know of any plans?

Thanks!
 
200 hundred a month is alot. how will u get inside of it? too i mean most kitchens are two stories up or at least 10 feet high. crawl through the window?
 
Huh? I'm saying that a conventional greenhouse costs about that much in my area. The window itself is only about 4 feet to 7 feet off the ground, so it would be at height level and wouldn't extend farther than arm length.
 
I have a thought from my own experience...
not exactly the same setup....

But in the summer facing south in full days sun, the window can cook like mad,
and in the winter at night, anything up against the glass can still pretty nearly freeze,
depending on if it is single pane glass (or double/triple).

Not that you can't make the most of it,
but have you already grown things in this window as it is,
to test it out and see how things are as it is???
 
I've grown stuff on the windowsill inside, but never something extending outside where it would get more light. There is about 1/4 shade due to a magnolia tree over there though. I'm just wondering how effective it would be.
 
I guess, but a little longer. looks interesting enough to look into though, so thanks.

I have a couple of questions to add on about something related...

On the east side of my house, next to a brick wall, I have a 5 foot by 20 foot section of clay-ey dirt next to concrete.

A piece of it...
119are8.jpg


I'm wondering if I could devote a section of that to a bog garden. It gets about 5 hours of strong morning sun and light sun for the rest of the day. There's a gutter next to it.

If I only do a section, not all of the space around it, would nutrients from the soil around it leech in (not that it's good soil) and can I divert the rain gutter into the area to flood it whenever it rains, which isn't too often? I live in zone 5-ish, so what plants would be best? The picture I'm getting from the guides on how to do it is "dig up the soil, put plastic down, put holes in the plastic, full it with peat moss and something for drainage, enjoy. Is this all there is to it? I'm not sure if I have enough light and if I can use the drainage roof water.

Thanks!

Edit: I got a tip that an in-ground thing might not be the best idea so close to the basement windows. How well would a kiddie pool work?
 
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