Carport-Frame Greenhouse Design

Quite a handsome little greenhouse, don't you think!

One of the guiding principles of the Sharing Gardens is to Re-use and Re-purpose as many materials as we can - to keep them out of burn-piles, and the dump. This carport greenhouse was made with 100% salvaged and donated materials (we didn't spend a penny!) Such a beautiful demonstration of what the Sharing Gardens are all about!

Here is a greenhouse we made using a metal carport frame, pressure-treated lumber and plywood. (Finished size - 10' x 20') We had a door and aluminum windows to use as well, though we've made vents and doors in other greenhouses by framing them with 2 x 4 lumber and covering in plywood, or plastic. We've assembled it entirely with screws, which makes it possible to disassemble and move. Someone donated the aluminum track (Spring Lock) to attach the plastic but it can be expensive to buy it new. On other greenhouses we've built, we've used long strips of lathe to screw down the plastic.

Finished carport greenhouse - side view.

North end. Note unpainted vent-door at peak. Greenhouse is cooled by convection; cool air comes in lower windows at south end and exits through upper vent and door. Window on left is also operable.

North end from inside. Plywood construction means you can hang shelves/tool rack.

South end is all glass (two sliding windows) and greenhouse plastic for maximum light.

Here are some close-ups for construction details:

Begin by setting up frame on level ground with the ends facing north and south.

Use 2 x 4's to frame side-walls. Upright metal posts are on bricks or blocks of wood to keep structure level and prevent it from sinking into the ground. Any wood that touches the ground should be pressure-treated.

Splicing 2 x 4's. The inner board makes a nice support for a shelf or tables.

The next step is to install a pressure-treated 6 x 6 across the bottom of the end walls. In our case, we spliced two shorter pieces together with a full-length 2 x 6. Keep making the structure level and square. This will make the rest of your framing much easier.

We use metal plumber's tape to secure sides to poles. Note painted cedar 1 x 4 "sill" and metal track (Spring Lock) to attach plastic.

Detail of inner walls. If you don't have corrugated fiber-glass, you can simply use more greenhouse plastic, or plywood.

Detail - outer corner. Note - we used 2 - 8" lag bolts to fasten lower corner to 6 x 6.

Detail - inner corner.

South wall, ready for framing and windows.

Next stage is to frame the end-walls:

This shows one of many possible variations for framing end wall. You need framing for windows or vents and to be able to attach plastic all the way around.

North wall framed for door and vent above door.

Framing details: 

Upper corner detail. 2 x 4's cut with a reciprocating saw (Sawzall).

More end wall:

Aluminum-framed, sliding windows for ventilation.

South wall framing.

Inside north wall (still needs vent above door).

Attaching plastic:

This is what the Spring Lock track looks like. The plastic is laid in the track and locked into place with the "wiggle wire".

Detail of corner showing plastic wrapped around and attached on end-wall, and along 1 x 4 sill on side with Spring Lock and wiggle-wire.

Plastic attached along sill. The nice thing about Spring Lock is that you can go back and stretch plastic to be taught and even (which we did after this picture was taken).

Skid-free ramp.

Greenhouse in use:

Jen and Doreen transplanting peppers.

Our new friend Austin, getting a transplanting lesson from Llyn.

To see other "How To" articles, go to our new and improved site: http://thesharinggardens.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or suggestions for improvements, please comment below.

Growing Gratitude

We have so much to be grateful for. The Sharing Gardens community--near and far--have been showing their support for the project.

Chris paints garden benches made from recycled materials, and refurbishes the donated trailer.

Our local weekly paper, The Tribune News continues to publish frequent articles about us. Many of the donations listed below have come as a result.

Fabric for the Great Monroe Autumn Leaf Drive was donated by Danette Puhek of Alpine. She gave us a huge role of a canvas-type material that can be sewn up by volunteers to make leaf bags. Our intention is to distribute these around town once the leaves have begun to fall and come back later to gather them for garden-mulching. Leaves provide valuable organic matter to improve the quality of the garden-soil and feed our "micro-livestock", the worms, bugs and bacteria that add their valuable "manure" to our gardens. The colorful, reusable leaf bags will provide a visual demonstration of our whole town's participation in growing food to share. (More fabric is still needed - see our wish list).

John Dillard, owner and manager of Monroe Telephone Company read our wish-list published in the The Tribune News paper and has offered his company's services to laminate signs we can post around the Gardens for people's information. We'll print the signs from our computer and bring them over to them for laminating.

Greenhouse/nursery donations: The Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture at Oregon State University -  nursery pots and flats (thanks Cody, for setting that up!). Barbara Standley of Santa Clara - pressure-treated lumber, saw-horses and nursery table tops. Eva Fife - straw bales for the muddy greenhouse paths, and help with transplanting. Knife River Corporation - almost $3,000 worth of gravel to expand the parking capacity where the greenhouse is located. Cindy Cantor for taking over the watering of all the starts.

Garden supplies and plant materials: Bodhi - about a dozen raspberry plants from his Eugene garden. Jason and Christine - sprouting potatoes. Laurie and Warren Halsey - ten gallons of gray house-paint. (We gave half of it to the Monroe Food Bank to spruce up their interior after they did renovations; we're using some to refurbish the trailer donated to the project earlier in the season by Dick and Jan Skirvin.) Gary Glore has brought us two plastic compost bins to process vegetable waste/kitchen scraps. We've put them at the Crowson/Monroe site.

Thanks to Mylrea Estell for the bicycle that Chris can use to travel to the gardens and back to our home, cutting down on the use of gas to drive our truck, and increasing our fitness as well.


Since we were denied grant-funding, we added a donation button on our website. We have had a strong initial response from supporters both near and far. We'd like to thank Dick and Helen Hewitt, Cathy Rose, Marian Spadone, Rann and Doreen Millar and Sue and Scott Peabody-Hewitt, Claudia McCue and Judy Peabody for their generosity. If you would like to donate, just click on the button below or mail a check to

Sunlit cabbage leaf

Sharing Gardens
PO Box 11
Monroe, OR 97456

Please indicate if you need a tax-receipt.

There's No Competition on the Giving Side of Life!

The Garden's Bounty

Many people may have a mis-perception about the Sharing Gardens and how they work. As it says in our Overview, "All materials and labor are donated. The food we grow is shared amongst those who have contributed in some way as well as others who are in need in our community. All surplus is donated to our local food-bank. No one is ever charged money for the food that is grown." Even though it clearly says that the food we grow "is shared amongst those who have contributed in some way," we realized in this conversation with our neighbors,  that many local people, who are not particularly suffering financially have held back on participating, or feeling OK about receiving harvest from the garden because of their perception that the primary purpose of the Gardens is to feed "those in need."
First of all, while our guiding purpose is to feed "those in need", even last year, with about half of the garden space we'll have in cultivation this year, we managed to grow and give away about 5,000 pounds of food! (That figure included both the volunteers and the Food Bank recipients.) One of our greatest challenges last year, as the Food Bank was closing up each week, was to find people to take home all the fresh produce that was still left over! Growing food in the style of sharing creates tremendous abundance and "rising waters lift all ships." Even if you or your family is not in dire financial circumstances, you are still welcome to participate in the growing of food and sharing in the bounty. There is plenty to go around!

Secondly, there are many less-material benefits to those who volunteer in the gardens that go beyond the amount of food you would be able to take home with you in harvest times. Getting your hands in the soil, moving your body as you prepare the ground, pulling weeds and harvesting--all contribute to your physical health and well-being. Sharing in conversation, meeting the other volunteers and making new connections is good for you emotionally. Learning how to grow your own food organically and having stimulating conversations about the current world-situation while pulling weeds or picking beans, is good for your mind. And stepping into active service; giving without a specific calculation of what you'll get in return is just plain good for the soul!

Conversation in the bean-patch.

As the weather becomes more pleasant, we will begin to have regular times to gather and grow food in the gardens. It's not too late to be added to our email list to be informed of where and when we'll be in the gardens. Just email us at: shareinjoy@gmail.com and let us know you want to be added to the volunteer list.

4-H Community Giveaway at the Monroe Legion Hall - April 16

It's time for the Community Give-away at the Monroe Legion Hall organized by Christy Warden and the local 4-H club. This event happens twice a year - at Christmas and Easter and it's an event that brings the community together as everyone is welcome to participate; to give and receive as they have need. All income levels welcome. Everything is given away.

On Friday, April 15th, from noon to 5:00 pm, Christy and a crew of volunteers receive and sort donations into categories - setting up the event. On Saturday April 16th from 10:00 to 2:00 the doors are open and people can come and freely receive. It's a lively social event: people swap out clothes that their kids have outgrown for ones that will fit them, supplement their pantries with new food, find items to do a little interior decorating  or gather building materials for home-improvement projects. As times have become more challenging economically, this event serves a real need in our community. At the Christmas event, Christy counted over 100 families who received help through this Giveaway.

People helping people!

Donations needed: Please bring your donations on Friday, April 15, noon to 5:00 pm to the Monroe Legion Hall - the brick building kitty-corner from the Post Office, on Main St. in Monroe. Tax-Deductible receipts available.

• Clothes
• Food
• Housewares
• Toiletries
• Surplus building materials
• Extra seedlings for people to plant in their gardens.

Volunteers needed:  Call Christy: (541) 847-6030 if you are available to help or have questions. The main need is on Friday afternoon to help sort and set-up the donations but there may be other ways you can help too.


Left over items will be donated to other local charities.

"Gardening for the Soul"

Here is an article written by Sarah Moser for the Tri-County Tribune and published January 12, 2011

When Chris Burns and Llyn Peabody, first moved to Monroe, they went for a walk in the park in Alpine. They started imagining what an ideal spot it would be for a garden. “It didn’t look like the park was being used for much and some of the buildings and benches were suffering from vandalism, so we mentioned it to some people at one of the pot lucks at the Alpine Community Center,” Chris said. “People were very supportive.”

Alpine's sign - painted winter 2010

 In April of 2009, Chris and Llyn planted their first garden in Alpine. “The first year was a success; we grew enough food to share with our local food bank, and vandalism disappeared in the park. We realized we had the ability to expand much farther and there were a lot more people who wanted to get involved.” Llyn said.

So in 2010, they approached Chester Crowson, who owns land between the Monroe Food Bank at the United Methodist Church and the town's Grade School. “We told him what we wanted to do and he thought it was a great idea,” Chris said. “He gave us the use of a large shed for our tools, an area 110' x 170' for the garden and has supported us 100 percent. He even put in a new pump on the well and paid for the electricity to water the garden.”

Monroe's sign and shed. (Grade school in back, left.)

The “Sharing Garden” is unlike most community gardens. “Instead of many separate plots, rented by individuals, the gardens are one large plot shared by all.” Llyn said. “We grow it all together. Anybody who has contributed in some way , or is in need, is free to harvest from the garden. No one is ever charged money for the food that is grown.” The entire surplus goes to the Monroe Food Bank and other charitable organizations. “All we ask is that people be sensitive to the fact that they not take more than their share,” chimed in Chris, “The gardens help us re-learn the values of sharing that we were all taught as children. If everyone gives what they can, and only takes what they need, there's enough to go around.”

In 2010, one of their biggest challenges was distributing all of the food they grew; it was quite a increase from the first year. “The first year we were generating a surplus of about a wheel barrow worth of food a week. ” Llyn said. Their entire operating budget was $1,230. In 2010, they spent $9,240 and were able to grow over 5,000 pounds of food. At the season's peak they were donating over 300 pounds of food per week. “This same organic produce, if bought at the store, would have cost almost $10,000 dollars.” Llyn said. 

A partial harvest - August 2010

The expenses for the gardens are covered through gifts and grants. “In 2010, we received our largest support from Trust Management Services, of Oregon. They made it possible to expand the gardens and for us to receive a stipend as well.” said Llyn. Other grants came from two garden clubs in Corvallis, the Lions Club and private individuals. “People donate in other ways too,” Chris said. “The Alpine Community Center (a 501c3) played a major role in helping us secure the financial and community support we've needed to make this project a success. They have also included us under their insurance policy. People also donate tools, mulch and building materials; our project has been responsible for diverting literally tons of material from burn-piles and the landfill.”

There are anywhere between 125 and 200 families a month served by the Monroe Food Bank. The garden supplements the primarily boxed and canned foods these families receive.

“We really focus on the basics that we know people will eat,” Chris said. “We stay way from exotic foods, and grow the stuff you'd ordinarily find in the markets—things like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, green beans, potatoes and lettuce.”

Young people harvesting green beans - 2010

The volunteers are an essential aspect of the project. “We couldn't do it without them,” says Llyn. “They help us in every aspect of growing and harvesting the food. Last year we had people from all walks of life—children, families and older people who want to help out and learn about gardening.” Many of Chris and Llyn’s volunteers are people who hear about the garden while picking up food at the food bank. “Many of them are learning to garden and store food for the first time,” Chris added. “These skills give people a sense of security. What could be more important than learning how to grow your own food?”

This year they are also in the midst of building a 2,000 square-foot green house. Between the three gardens they will have roughly two thirds of an acre in cultivation. They will be able to start seeds a lot earlier with the green house; probably the middle of February. It will also extend the harvest season well into the fall.

Not only do the “Sharing Gardens” feed people's bodies, but their hearts and minds as well.

“People feel inspired by what we're doing,” Llyn said, “Whether they're actually helping us in the garden, or just reading about it on our blog, this project gives people a good feeling inside. I love the feeling of being of service. It feels extremely meaningful to be feeding people. I was never a gardener before I met Chris and now I love to garden. What a miracle. It is absolutely amazing. You put this little seed in the ground and it can produce enough to feed dozens of people.” “You get out of it what you put in,” Chris said. “When you wake up each day you have something to look forward to. You know you are going to help people smile, and feel better about themselves, you know you are going to be outdoors getting some sunshine, you are working with living things and plants and seeds and there is a great satisfaction being close to the earth, helping people and eating good wholesome food.” 

Needed: Seed Saver volunteers

Part of the "Sharing Garden's" Mission Statement is "to create a local and sustainable seed bank." We are looking for gardeners who are interested in learning the art of seed-saving and who would be willing to grow-out certain varieties of vegetables to save, and share the seed. If you have a garden patch, separated from other vegetable gardens by at least 500 feet, and would like to grow and save seed, please let us know and we will inform you of next steps. Once people let us know if they're interested in being involved, we'll have a meeting and decide who will grow what. We'll coach you along the way in how to grow the plants and save the seeds (if you need help). If you are an experienced local gardener and have some input that could help the rest of us to understand the finer points of seed-saving, please be in touch. We welcome your participation.

This notice is primarily directed towards gardeners who live near us, although we encourage our far-flung readers to initiate a similar project with gardeners in your own area. The more we can learn about growing our own food, storing it and saving seed, the more secure we will all be.

Before the days of Agri-business, Grange Halls had a vital function in farming communities. Not only did members of the local granges share large, expensive equipment (so each farmer did not have to own his or her own). But grange-members would also gather in the winter and agree on who was going to grow what. This was a valuable process so that a) farmers could rotate their crops and not overtax any one field by growing the same crop on it year after year, b) local communities were assured that there would be enough of the staple-crops to go around and c) for those farmers who were taking their crops to market, this planning assured that there would not be a glut on any one crop.

Most Grange Halls no longer serve these original functions. We, at the "Sharing Gardens" would like to re-introduce this idea on a smaller scale. It doesn't take a lot of room to grow most seed crops but, for the vegetables that easily cross-pollinate with other similar varieties, they should be isolated by 500 feet to a half mile from others with which they might cross.

Butter Cup Squash

For example, Sweet Meat and Butter Cup squash, if grown in the same patch will "cross" and you can't know which characteristics of the mother plants will carry through in their offspring. The next generation might be delicious but they could turn out to be woody or flavorless and, you wouldn't know until you've grown out the whole next generation.

Our intention with the Seed-Savers network is to encourage people to learn about the art of saving seed and to create more local food self-reliance. With participation from other experienced gardeners and seed-savers, we will learn about this important skill together. All levels of expertise are welcome.

Meet the volunteers - Ismael in the Garden

The Sharing Gardens would not be the success they are without our volunteers. In the summer of 2010, from early June through late October, the gardens usually had two, three-hour volunteer sessions per week--one at each of the two garden sites.  In the early part of the season we coordinated them around the weather--as you recall, it was a wet spring so we tried to dodge the raindrops for our volunteer times. Once the harvest began coming in, we timed the sessions to coincide with Food Bank hours to bring the freshest produce to those in need.

Volunteers Cathy Rose, Danielle and Llyn with the kale harvest.

One morning, in early July, as we were harvesting lettuce for the Food Bank, a young man approached us in the garden and asked if there was anything he could do to help. He said he's always been interested in becoming a farmer and he wanted to learn about growing vegetables. Ismael ("My") became one of our steadiest volunteers, often coming both sessions per week. Though his family has been in the Corvallis area for over twenty years, and they own their own house in Monroe, the down-turn in the economy has made it difficult to make ends meet. The bags and boxes of produce "My" brought home from the garden were greatly appreciated by his family of six (he has three younger brothers). Though "My" is a playful sort, who loved to joke around with Chris and the other male volunteers, he always paid close attention to what we were teaching him in the garden and could be trusted with all aspects of the garden - from the delicate job of transplanting, to the big-muscle tasks of gathering and spreading grass or hay-mulch.

"My" using his bike-trailer to carry home hay for his rabbits and chickens. "My" using his bike-trailer to carry home hay for his rabbits and chickens.

One of our hopes, in involving young people in growing their own food, is to encourage them to expand their food choices. Many kids don't know what food looks like when it first comes from the ground and they're loathe to try it unless it comes from a bottle, box or can. One day, we were harvesting at the Monroe site, just a few blocks from "My's" home. Chris and "My" were filling a box with greens and summer squash, cucumbers and tomatoes for "My" to take home to his family. Chris pulled up a few beets and asked "My" if his family would enjoy eating them. "My" didn't know. He'd never had one before. So Chris put them in "My's" box and sent him home to find out.

About fifteen minutes later, "My" comes zipping back on his bike, his lips and teeth smeared and dripping with bright red beet-juice (I wish I'd taken a picture!). He takes a hefty bite out of the peeled beet he's got skewered on a shish-ka-bob stick and says with a big grin, "Yeah, my family loves beets!' We'll take a bunch!"

"My's" big grin always lights up the garden!

One day, late in the fall, “My” stopped by the garden. He’s joined the 4-H club with a focus on poultry and he’s got ten chickens in a coop he built in his back yard. He was wondering if he could gather the last of the sweet corn, still on the stalks, to take home to feed his birds through the winter. It's long past being edible for people so I said, “Sure, let’s gather it together.”

We pulled the ears off their stalks and loaded them in the wheelbarrow. As we harvested, we talked about the summer gone by and “My’s” time in the garden. I asked him if he’d write down a few words about his experience. Here is what he wrote in response to the questions I asked him:

What was your favorite part about the Sharing Gardens?

All the wildlife, the smiles, the laughter, happiness. Helping families with food.

Why did you volunteer at the Sharing Gardens?

Because I love helping people. I love being part of the community. I like meeting new friends.

What are some things you learned at the Sharing Gardens?

I learned how to plant plants, water them, harvest them, save seeds; how to make compost and…can’t forget—sharing them.

Can you say what you appreciated about Chris and Llyn?

Everything. It was like my mom and dad teaching me how to take my first baby steps and how to say words like “mom” or “dad”.

Chris and "My" mulching the fruit orchard.

My has a rather impish quality; he's very lovable and just soaks up the playful kidding and other expressions of affection that are a part of our time in the gardens. So it didn’t surprise me when I saw he’d added his own question at the bottom of the list. He wrote:

Can you tell me what you loved about me?

Well, “My”, we love that you are the kind of person who likes to help other people. We love your playfulness and your willingness to stay with a task until the job’s done. We think it’s fantastic that you help feed your family and we love your curiosity about gardening and your gentle touch with the plants. You are trust-worthy and responsible and a great help in the gardens. Here's a little story that shows you what I mean...

One time, I asked “My” and his little brother, Ricardo (who was also helping us in the gardens that day) to mulch a back area that didn’t have much growing in it besides weeds. We had seeded some giant sunflowers but the crows had eaten most of them and there were only two that I could find. I told the boys to mulch around the sunflowers, leaving them room to grow and to heavily cover all the weeds so they’d die back. I had other tasks in the garden to take care of so I left them on their own.

Chris and Ricardo ("My's" younger brother) applying manure tea.

At the end of the morning, after everyone had gone home, I went out to the back garden to see how the boys had done. They’re good, steady workers and they’d covered a sizable section of the garden with flakes of spoiled hay. I was very happy with their work. I started to turn back to the garden gate when something caught my eye. There, by the fence, away from the main garden patch was a lone sunflower that had volunteered on its own, the seed having spilled from our bag of seeds, or having been carried and dropped by a crow or other critter. I wouldn’t have noticed it except there, carefully placed around its base, was a layer of mulch, blocking the weeds and grass and keeping the precious moisture within the soil so the flower would have a chance to grow through the heat of the summer and into fall’s harvest. “My” had recognized the leaf pattern of the young sunflower and taken the time to apply what he was learning about mulch in the gardens so this plant would have a chance to grow and bloom. That’s what I love about “My”.

Happily weeding the broccoli

Monroe Food Bank Hours

This post covers the Food Bank hours in Monroe. 

Please consider sharing the surplus from your own garden.

2009 Tomato Harvest

Fresh produce is greatly appreciated by the people who come to the Food Bank. As your own gardens come into high production, and you find yourself with surplus, please consider dropping it off at the Food Bank. You can leave it under the carport, behind the church, Wednesday evenings or any time Thursday mornings.

Food Bank Hours:

Thursday mornings 10:00 - noon

Except 3rd Thursdays: 5:00 - 7:00 pm 

(followed by a free community dinner hosted by the Methodist Church - all are welcome)

Where:  648 Orchard St.,  behind the United Methodist Church, in Monroe

A special thanks to Loren Bowman for his many years of selfless service in support of this local effort to ease the burden on our neighbors in need.

(Volunteers enjoying a cookie break at the Monroe garden - above - Thanks Joanie!)