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Gardening can quickly become expensive, so gardeners are very good at devising techniques to reduce costs while maintaining a lush and productive backyard oasis. This technique of creating a DIY mini greenhouse with a transparent umbrella certainly falls into this category.
Using a transparent umbrella as a DIY mini greenhouse couldn't be easier. You will want to break the handle, especially if it is hook-shaped so that you can fix it to the ground. Depending on the size of the umbrella, you will be able to cover the tender plants growing in the big pots or the part of the row on the raised bed or the ground. The geraniums in my big flowerpot usually stay open until autumn, so I think I will find some dome-shaped transparent umbrellas to protect them on cold nights or early snow.
Really, these DIY mini greenhouses are so smart, you will wonder why you didn't think of it yourself. And they are cute to start up—especially when compared to the mini pop-up greenhouses made for this purpose.
There are many examples of people using transparent umbrellas to make DIY mini greenhouses on social media. The great thing about it is that it may save and extend the season for some of your favorite plants in spring and autumn. Even if this is not a problem in your garden, if you live in a place where a summer storm can destroy your herb garden or beat up the succulents you moved outside in the summer, you might want to try using a transparent umbrella to protect them.
If you have twine on hand, you can try to pull it out like a tent to hold the umbrella in place. (If hail is forecast, can I open an umbrella in the cage? Well, there must be experiments there, but maybe.)
You can definitely be creative in this area, but it's really simple. Take a look.
Project Allotment posted on Twitter the pink umbrella they used as a DIY mini greenhouse, and they said they bought it on eBay:
We bought these transparent umbrellas from eBay and used them as mini greenhouses. #projectallotment #umbrella #garden #greenhouse pic.twitter.com/ymvR6iAtn3
— Project Assignment (@allotment_new) May 15, 2016
Eden Gardens Allot posted their DIY mini greenhouse on the whiskey barrel:
Sunny umbrella... Mini greenhouse pic.twitter.com/8qTsmFjHZj
-Eden Distribution (@gardens_eden) June 2, 2013
Where I live, blizzards in late spring will suddenly hit people’s well-planned gardens, so I am very happy that this tweet from MainelyHRT recognizes the need to save seedlings:
Keep your clean #umbrella to protect your early #spring #plants. Mini#greenhouse! #garden #seedlings #gardenlovers pic.twitter.com/rd9tjYe5Gd
If you are a consignment shopper, you can always look out for the transparent umbrella of this DIY project. Some gardeners have written articles about buying transparent umbrellas on a budget in a dollar store, which will definitely reduce costs. However, if it is difficult for you to come up with a real transparent umbrella for your mini greenhouse needs, you can also buy one on Amazon.
If you need a bunch, this is the way to go-Amazon sells a pack! (It's convenient if the outdoor wedding forecast gets wet, eh?) This 12-piece transparent umbrella is priced at $79.99 on Amazon. It may be too much for a gardener, but maybe you can be separated from friends and family.
What do you think of this DIY mini greenhouse solution?