I’ve dreamed of having a greenhouse since the day we moved into our beach cottage, 8 years ago. I wanted to grow my own flowers and vegetables, and to have a place to keep my more sensitive plants over the winter. My dream finally came true, and I’m excited to share my greenhouse views from every season.
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The greenhouse is empty for the most part in the summer months. All the seed starts have been planted in the garden. Now it is only used for container and garden tool storage. My geraniums will be potted and put back into the greenhouse in October, for overwintering.
Summer
This is one of my favorite shots of my greenhouse. Better Homes and Gardens, and Cottages and Bungalows Magazines liked it too! They both featured this picture on Instagram last year. What could be better than daisies in a cottage garden?
Summer is always the most beautiful season in my cottage garden. Perennials such as black-eyed Susan’s, dahlias, phlox, daisies and sedum are just a few varieties of flowers blooming at this time of year.
What a difference a year makes. The late spring/early summer here in the PNW, was much cooler with more rain this year. It really affected my dahlia growth. I took a picture of my dahlia row this year, up above, and last year, below, during the same time frame.
These flowers in the raised beds were first seed starts, grown in the greenhouse. The annuals include zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, stock, black-eyed Susan’s and zucchini.
How It All Started
This was the view of the garden before the greenhouse was built. The structure was started in our large garage, and then taken apart and reassembled in the yard.
So this is where it all started! This book was the inspiration for my greenhouse, and the fresh cut flower garden of my dreams. My hubby and I were on a boat trip 3 years ago, and stayed in one of my favorite towns, LaConner, Wa. We went to a small local bookstore, where I found this book by Erin Benzakein, the owner of Floret Flowers. This book has taught me everything about starting a fresh cut flower garden. The rest is history! I buy almost all my bulbs and seeds from her farm every year.
Fall
Fall is such a fun season to dress up the greenhouse. This is the time when we bring in the geraniums for the winter, but not much else is happening inside. So I fill up the steps and patio on the other side with pumpkins and mums. And of course, I add cornstalks for the final touch!
I added pumpkins inside the greenhouse for a magazine photo shoot last year. The issue should be out this month!
Winter
Decorating the greenhouse for the Christmas season is so much fun. The bistro lights stay up throughout the year, so it’s not a lot of work to add some vintage pieces for some festive charm.
We did get a dusting of snow last winter, which was absolutely beautiful, along with this stunning sunrise.
Spring
Spring is such a beautiful time in the PNW. I planted this Montana Rubens Clematis a couple of years ago, but had no idea how beautiful it would look in early May. The greenhouse is a perfect background for these gorgeous pink blooms.
This gorgeous shot of the sunset was featured on Sunset Magazine online.
Rhododendrons are quite popular in many PNW spring gardens. I loved this capture of the greenhouse tucked behind this well established plant.
Clouds and rain usually surround my greenhouse in the spring season. If I had to wait for the sun to come out to take a good picture, I would be waiting a long time!
We’ve added some gorgeous bistro lights to the greenhouse, and across the arbor and pathway, to show a more romantic atmosphere all year round.
Here’s a view of the greenhouse interior in the early spring, when the seed starts and geraniums were growing. Did you notice the Dutch doors we put in on each side? Love them!
One of my favorite things about the greenhouse is the mermaid weather vane from Good Directions. Isn’t she perfect for a greenhouse on the beach? My garden fairy sprite finishes off this whimsical cottage garden.
It’s fun to take a look at how my greenhouse is transformed from season to season, not only by adding decor, but by the flowers and the weather throughout the year. I hope you have enjoyed my greenhouse for every season!
If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, please pin and share it on Pinterest.
Other Posts You May Enjoy…
- Summer Garden Magazine Photo Shoot – Behind the Scenes
- Seed Starting Basics
- My Cottage Garden Summer View
- How to Start Geranium Cuttings
- Decorating the Greenhouse for Christmas
This post has been shared with…
- Tuesday Turn About hosted by Thistle Key Lane
- Share Your Style hosted by French Ethereal
- All About Home hosted by Follow the Yellow Brick Home
- Celebrate Your Story hosted by Zucchini Sisters
- Inspire Me Tuesday hosted by A Stroll Thru Life
- Wonderful Wednesday hosted by Le Cultivateur
- Thursday Favorite Things hosted by Follow the Yellow Brick Home
- Grace at Home hosted by Imparting Grace
- Make It Pretty Monday hosted by The Dedicated House
- Embracing Home and Family by The Everyday Farmhouse
Featured by…
- Tuesday Turn About hosted by Thistle Key Lane
- Share Your Style hosted by French Ethereal
- Thursday Favorite Things hosted by Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Thank you so much for linking up at Embracing Home and Family! I love love love this post! I am pinning for future reference. We have a bunch of old windows saved for building a greenhouse someday. I am hoping in the next year or so! Yours is gorgeous!
I hope you are able to use those old windows! That would look amazing Jennifer!
HEAVEN!!!
Thank you Diane!
OMG, this is so pretty. How fortunate to have such an inspiring place to grow to your heart’s content. Looks so peaceful in all 4 seasons.
Thank you Carol. It has been such a fun experience to have this greenhouse. And it definitely provides much needed garden therapy! Thank you for visiting!
So beautiful! Love the location you picked to place the greenhouse and what a cool building. 🙂
Thank you so much Cindy! It is a lot of fun to have! Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Kim!!! I LOVE your greenhouse and I’m so happy for you getting featured on a couple of big IG sites! <3 I've been thinking of building a greenhouse at our new home in Texas when we can. During the Great Recession, my son and I brought home a door from a home which was being remodeled (a home repossessed by the bank) and it will go on this greenhouse one day. <3 Happy to feature your sweet greenhouse at this week's Share Your Style #259!!! Had to take a week off due to my father-in-law passing away. Thank you! <3
Hugs,
Barb 🙂
p.s. You might enjoy checking out my posts about Judith of Botanic Bleu’s greenhouse and yard last winter:
https://www.frenchethereal.net/2019/12/a-bleu-christmas.html
https://www.frenchethereal.net/2019/12/meet-judith-and-home-of-botanic-bleu.html
Judith and her husband built their greenhouse and added several sets of French doors… It’s lovely and has a chandy like yours! <3
Thank you Barbara! I just went to check out your posts. Love the French doors!
I am so sorry for your loss Barbara. I hope you took enough time off. And thank you so much for the feature! That is so exciting! You definitely need to build a greenhouse! It has been so much fun for me. It is such a peaceful place to be in the winter when it’s raining, or in the spring when I am sowing seeds. I hope you can use the door you now have!
Absolutely stunning! A real treat to see.
I really appreciate it! Thank you Debbee and thank you for visiting my blog!
I’m excited to feature your post this week on the Tuesday Turn About Link Party. What a treat it is to see your inspiring greenhouse beautifully photographed through the seasons. It’s so hard to pick just one photo to share.
Oh thank you Michelle! That means so much to me! My greenhouse is becoming quite popular! Can’t wait to pop on over to see all your features for the week!
What a wonderful post! What a gorgeous garden! I felt serene just looking at your lovely photos! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the sweet words Kathy! I appreciate it so much!
Wow wow wow! I love each and every swoonworthy photo. Pinning to revisit again and again!
Thank you Amber! I am so glad you visited my blog and I appreciate the pin! Have a good weekend!
Just beautiful!! I love every single inch!! 💗💗
Thank you so much Elma! I’m so glad you like it!
Oh my! I love seeing the greenhouse in all seasons. I thought the summer/fall pics when everything is full would be my favorites but I find myself drawn to winter as well. And inside — i love the wooden interior and the white exterior. A wonderful contrast. (Do you ever take a book and a chair and just camp out there for an hour or two?!) All those plants. Bravo!
Thank you Jeanie! I actually have hung out there when it rains. It’s so peaceful!
I love your entire yard! But that Greenhouse is the sweetest ever. Someday I can only hope my place is a wonderful as yours.
That is so kind of you! I really appreciate you visiting my blog!
Loved seeing your greenhouse in all the seasons in Washington. Can you till me how big it is and did you have a plan or did you
design it .
My Montana rubens clematis are not doing well here in Montana and that’s just wrong TeeHee, our lilacs are in bloom and peonies
just starting both my favorite our zones are so different.
I used restraint and didn’t plant my window boxes and avoided the big hail storm we had last week onto June and a beautiful
Montana summer
I’m so enjoying your posts!
The weather has been absolutely crazy throughout the country! This is the latest I have ever waited to plant my window boxes. The greenhouse is 8 X 10. We wanted to make it bigger, but didn’t want to have to get a permit. There were no plans, I told the person who constructed it, what I wanted and showed him some inspiration pics from Pinterest. He literally built it without any plans!
Thank you Kim for the info on your greenhouse. I was wondering if you used a kit or not. We are getting ready to build one next spring and have been looking at plans and styles. I love yours!! It gives me a lot of inspiration for mine which will be about that same size. Thank you for your inspiration in sharing your beautiful garden photos! There’s nothing like a beautiful garden to feel peace, and boy don’t we need a little peace these days. Thank you, Deborah Parr
We do need peace, Deborah. And that’s exactly what the garden and greenhouse provide. Our greenhouse was built by our contractor after showing him inspiration pictures from Pinterest. He had no plans or a kit. He has a gift for sure and we miss him after he retired. The size is 8’x 10′. I have more information on another blog post Everything you want to know about my greenhouse. Thanks for visiting.
So many beautiful pictures, Kim! Love your iconic greenhouse! And it was fun to see a picture of your yard without the greenhouse!
Thank you Molly! I do tend to milk my greenhouse as much as possible!