Want to transform your dull backyard into a productive and exhilarating one? Use our DIY greenhouse plans and set yourself apart!
After trying all kinds of greenhouse structures, we were happy with almost none of them. They either look too complicated or felt way too serious for our liking.
What did we do? We put our creativity to work. Found some fantastic ideas that seem doable and brought them to reality.
Below, you’ll find some of these ideas, what they require, and how much time and effort they demand. Check them up!
15 DIY Greenhouse Ideas for Backyards!
1. The Bubble Greenhouse
Bubble greenhouses are among the most popular. Believe it or not, they’re the most space-efficient and surprisingly easy to make.
The only thing you’ll need is a plastic bubble with a side entrance. A bit of artificial soil like moss peat or perlite (that won’t damage the bubble) can be excellent choices for the floor. Then, consider placing the plants in pots over it for the greenhouse effect.
As you can guess, the result is desirable, making it hard to overlook.
In case a bubble feels too fragile or not attractive, you can always use a geodome.
2. Mini Outdoor Green House
Feel like your backyard is too small for a greenhouse? A mini model may be what you’re looking for.
Building a greenhouse from the ground up can be an immense amount of work. To reduce how much it takes, you can use a pre-fabricated option.
These mini-greenhouses only need a bit of setup. Putting them together can be done in a matter of hours. And what’s even better, they’re nowhere near as expensive as larger greenhouses can be.
The best of all? They come with their installation instructions so you can follow along worry-free.
Your backyard will be boosted without wasting much of your time or money with one of these.
3. Kitchen Garden Greenhouse
Love traditional styles? Then give a kitchen garden a chance.
If you’re going for a more intricate idea that can host an entire garden of your favorite plants, this could be what you’re looking for.
You can set one of these up in any part of your backyard. The focus is to make it as distinctive as possible. Bring the glass for the sides and roof. And don’t forget to build the walls if necessary.
It may need some digging and soil preparation in some cases. But regardless, it’s totally worth it, especially for large backyards where you want to use the space to the max.
4. A Coffee Space
Take yourself less seriously and build a simpler yet cozier greenhouse by making it a coffee place.
What does that mean? As easy as bringing a coffee table with some chairs. Probably get an espresso machine or a stove to prepare coffee at any time. You’ll have a blast in the area, making it ideal for those times when you want to relax and get away from other people.
For an extra touch of caffeine-driven beauty, plant a coffee bush close. That will make it the perfect coffee place.
5. Greenhouse for Reading
Set your backyard with a concrete floor, build the greenhouse on top, and bring a small library with a few chairs or sofas.
Sit at any moment, enjoy your favorite books, and never get close to your plants at the same time.
This could be a lovely yet relaxing place to be at. If you make it work with potted plants and a few vertical gardens, then you’ll have a perfect place to spend hours on end.
The best about it? No time or money to waste. If you already have the greenhouse set up, bringing the pieces of furniture will be a no-brainer.
6. Succulent Backyard Greenhouse
Who doesn’t like the appeal of a low-maintenance plant like a succulent? Considering how effortless it is to maintain one, you’ll love a greenhouse filled with them.
Give your backyard a complete retouch by bringing all kinds of succulents to the place. This could be anything from hens and chickens to your aloes vera, some agave plants, and whatever else fits.
Best of all, you can give it a unique look. It doesn’t have to be an impressive glasshouse on the outside. But it can be a particular one on the inside.
If you can bring plants of different colors and sizes, that would be awesome. The place will look like a succulent rainbow, ready to change how your backyard feels.
7. Cacti Desert Greenhouse
If regular succulents aren’t sufficiently attractive for you, why don’t you try with cactuses instead?
These spiky and desert-loving plants also become exceptional greenhouse alternatives. Ready to last a lifetime under the sunlit windows of a greenhouse, they can make your backyard a lot more attractive.
What’s the catch? There’s none!
Cacti are among the most resilient plants. They require little to no maintenance and are often cheap. As long as you change the greenhouse to a more desertic environment, then it’ll look fantastic with little effort.
8. Hanging Pots
For bigger glasshouses with enough space and sturdy structures, few things can look as attractive as hanging pots around.
But it’s not about hanging just a few. Hang them ALL!
Greenhouses are often dull and are simple, with racks and raised beds that host the plants. Hanging pots on the structure and making them all stand out will get the backyard on another level.
It can be a bit tiring to be hanging the pots around, but you won’t desire to go back once you see the result.
9. A Tropical Greenhouse Revamp
For those backyards that look boring and unpleasant, nothing can make them stand out with such little effort as planting tropical species all around.
Greenhouses with tropical plants like the gorgeous Giant Elephant Ears can add a touch of magnificence to the place.
You’ll have the perfect combination of beauty and density, ideal for giving your greenhouse a more practical approach. As soon as you step on it, you’ll feel like in the middle of a jungle.
10. Humid Rainforest Greenhouse Style
Taking it a step further when it comes to boosting your greenhouse appeal, a rainforest fits like the overkill option.
Beautiful in every way, plants that love humid areas will appreciate this environment. You can bring carnivorous plants for the extra touch of spiciness.
A bit of moss in the ground, a small pond, and probably even a water garden will set it apart. The place may take a lot of time to grow and become what you’re thinking, but it will be totally worth it. Your backyard will never be the same gloomy area again.
11. The Fairy Tale Greenhouse
Love cheesy-looking places? Look no more!
This is the perfect plan for people who appreciate flowers and lovely environments. Paired up with some roses and a few palms plus a gravel path for practicality to set up a stunning location.
The scenery can be even better if you bring a few tables and chairs for relaxing. Bring a hammock across the greenhouse or a few hanging pots with your favorite flowers to stuff it up.
It could be another time-consuming setting to build up, but it will be totally worth it in almost every way.
12. A Stylish Rocky Greenhouse
Have a big rock in your backyard? Say no more!
Giving your backyard a rocky look is never a wrong choice. Especially if that rock is already there, you can build the greenhouse around and set it up to complement the place beautifully.
It doesn’t have to be a giant rock or stone, though. If we’re talking about a rock garden, for example, that could also match your greenhouse and give a rougher look to the place without losing the appeal.
13. Lili Pond and Dock
Few people would give a lily pond inside a greenhouse a chance. But the results are outstanding.
Given you give the place an Asian vibe to boost the appeal, you’ll be ready to enjoy one of the most stimulating environments.
Add some Koi fish into the mix, other water plants, and bring a dock into the equation. Your greenhouse will be more than attractive – it will be a blast to spend time on it.
This may take you several weeks or even months to set up. But the results are incredible, to say the least.
14. The Zen Greenhouse Style
What fits better with a greenhouse than Zen gardens?
Remodeling your backyard greenhouse with this style is a piece of cake. Not only because it requires no more than a few rocks and a bit of sand, but also because it matches with practically any type of plant.
You can match with Asiatic plants and the most drought-tolerant ones, and they will all look fantastic.
We seriously recommend this one if you’re looking for a quick alternative that still changes the environment completely. Given it doesn’t take much money either, you’ll love the result in every way.
15. Enclosed Patio Greenhouse
Have an enclosed patio that could use a revamp? Make it so with a small greenhouse.
Patios and backyards are always connected, so giving it a greenhouse remodel will undoubtedly make it stand out without necessarily taking too much time, effort, or cash.
The best about an idea like this would be the ability to boast about your style. Plants indoors are often seen as a great decorative idea, and you can use them to your advantage.
Last but not least, you can use the place as a winter greenhouse to protect against the worst year’s climates. That would be a triple win for you.
Conclusion
With so many DIY greenhouse plans to put into work, there’s almost no excuse to leave your backyard featuring a boring one.
We’ve put together this list for those who struggle with creativity. There should be no lack of ideas coming their way after reading through. If you’re one of those, it’s now time to work.
Grab your shovel, put on your gloves, and get yourself out there. That greenhouse won’t build itself!