Freestanding or Attached?

With a spacious site, plenty of sunlight during the cooler months, and access to power and water supplies, a freestanding greenhouse is often the first choice.

And we’ve built many freestanding greenhouses in the Charlotte area, ranging from 8’x8’ to 16’x24’, with rugged, red cedar frames, multi-wall polycarbonate glazing, automated vent windows, and other climate control equipment.

But not every grower in the Charlotte area has the ideal site or the budget for a freestanding greenhouse. 

Sometimes, the ideal greenhouse site happens to be right beside an existing structure - like a storage shed or a detached garage. Or even right beside a grower’s residence.

In these cases, an attached greenhouse design is typically the answer, and very often, this is built using a shed roof or lean-to style design.

The biggest advantage to attached greenhouse designs - whether it’s an upscale conservatory attached to your home, or a simple, cedar-framed greenhouse built onto the side of a detached garage -  is lower cost, because there are fewer walls to build than in a freestanding greenhouse.

Conservatories, solariums, and sunrooms describe the high-end version of the attached greenhouse concept, and there are companies who specialize in these structures.

One of our favorites is South Carolina-based Florian Greenhouse, who builds and installs elegant, metal-framed conservatories and solariums, with multi-pane, high performance glass glazing, in the Charlotte area.

These high-end, attached greenhouse structures can add value to your home, reduce your heating costs during the winter months, and add welcome humidity to the air inside your home, during the winter. 

Conservatories, solariums, and sunrooms offer the convenience of access from inside your home, and these structures often house hot tubs, reading, dining, and entertaining areas - in addition to plants.

And, as you might imagine, these handsome structures usually come with a handsome price tag to match. 

At Microfarm, we build space-saving, budget-friendly, lean-to style greenhouses, framed with red cedar, and attached to a side of non-residential buildings, like storage sheds and detached garages. 

Just like in our freestanding, cedar-framed greenhouse designs, we use either twin or triple wall polycarbonate to glaze our lean-to greenhouse designs.

We prefer multi wall polycarbonate glazing because it has outstanding insulation value, various options for heat screening and light transmission, and multi wall polycarbonate greenhouse glazing is virtually shatter-proof.

It’s easier for our crew to transport and install than glass. It’s safer for the people using the greenhouse, and much easier to remove and replace, in the rare instance that it ever is damaged. 

Our cedar-framed, lean-to greenhouse designs can be fitted with automated vent windows, louvered shutters, exhaust fans, grow lights, cedar potting benches, and raised garden beds - just like our freestanding cedar-framed greenhouse designs.

A single entry door that allows access to the greenhouse from outside the adjacent building is standard, but in some cases, we can cut another door for access to the attached greenhouse from inside the non-residential shed or garage.

And while of our cedar-framed, polycarbonate glazed lean-to greenhouses may not spike the value of your home the way a fancy glass conservatory might, there are some notable advantages to ‘keeping it simple’ with a smaller structure that’s attached to a non-residential building.

Conservatories, solariums and sunrooms that are attached to your home are certainly more convenient, and the warm, humid air is often welcome inside the home in the dead of winter.

But in the summer months, this very same warm, humid air - which is likely to become even more warm, more humid, and also include a variety of winged insects - must be dealt with by sealing off the access door from the sunroom to the home, shading the structure with blinds or  shade cloth, investing in low-e and other high-performance, heat-screening glass glazing, applying insecticides, and usually some very, very capable ventilation equipment.

These summer issues that come with with conservatories, sunrooms, and solariums attached to a residence, are usually non-issues with smaller, lean-to greenhouses built onto the side of a a shed or garage.

With these more modest attached greenhouses, it’s generally understood that, while the greenhouse can be used to grow plants most of the year, during the summer months, it will be too hot inside for growing, and the lean-to style greenhouse will serve as more of a storage space for garden tools and supplies.

Thinking about building a cedar-framed greenhouse on your property? 

Debating between a freestanding greenhouse design and an attached greenhouse structure?

Drop us a line at hello@microfarmgardens.com - we’d love to hear from you!

Make New Raised Beds, But Keep the Old.

Over the years, we’ve found that organic gardens in Charlotte have a way of growing.

And we’re not talking about copious harvests of show-stopper tomatoes, or fine-textured, blue-ribbon-winning winter squash, either. 

That’s a foregone conclusion, here at Microfarm.

We’re talking about scaling up the organic garden in size, to increase production.

A bigger area dedicated to growing edible varieties organically.

More cedar garden beds to satiate that love of organic gardening.

In fact, we’ve found it so likely that an organic garden design with one raised garden bed will eventually have two or three cedar garden beds, that we plan for this eventuality during the initial site visit to scout out an organic garden site.

Might as well know how much space is available for future growth, right?

And such was the case with Charlotte’s Turner family.

Like many Charlotte families, they began their organic garden with one of our 4’x8’ Kitchen Garden raised beds, which we placed in a sunny nook in the backyard.

You can grow a lot of organic produce in our 4’x8’ Kitchen Garden raised bed. And many growers find it an attractive raised bed design, too.

The Turners liked the look of this 19”-tall cedar garden bed design so much, that it found a home in a prominent area in the backyard, just outside the kitchen window.  

We installed 1/2” diameter drip irrigation in the garden bed, filled the cedar planter with a premium organic soil blend, and even planted the family’s selection of seedlings when we wrapped up the installation that day.

Then the years rolled by.

Six years, to be exact.

When we returned to revisit the property in 2026, things had moved around a little since April of 2020.

That trampoline that was in the backyard wasn’t there anymore.

Two new cars - both with teenage drivers - were now parked out in the driveway.

And an area at a corner of the family’s backyard that was overgrown in 2020, had recently been cleared when the power company installed new utility poles and power lines.

With branches from the nearby trees pruned way, way back, and the newly-cleared area bathed in sunlight, this previously unsuitable area now had everything we look for in an organic garden site: 

6+ hours of sunlight.

Close to the kitchen.

A water supply nearby.

And best of all, this site had much more space than the previous garden site - enough room to add two new 4’x8’ Kitchen Garden raised beds to the existing one, which we would move back to the new garden site. 

After we moved and reinstalled the existing raised bed ( which was still in remarkably excellent condition, by the way) back to the new garden site, we’d then install the two new 4’x8’ cedar garden beds right beside it. We’d install drip irrigation grids in all three 4’x8’ raised garden beds, and connect them underground so that they could be tied into the property’s existing irrigation system, and watered simultaneously on a dedicated zone at the main irrigation control panel.

Then we’d fill all three cedar garden beds with a premium organic soil blend -  just like we always do.

There was just one small problem. More of an aesthetic preference than a problem, really, but still something that we had to address.

You see, with exposure to sunlight, red cedar will weather to silver grey - sometimes in just  a matter of weeks. Most people seem to prefer this weathered look, and red cedar still retains its famous outdoor durability long, long after the red color has faded to silver.

And even though the Turner family’s six-year-old cedar garden bed seemed to have years of useful life left, it’s sun-faded silver color wouldn’t match the pinkish red color of the two brand new 4’x8’ Kitchen Garden raised garden beds.

Sure, the two new cedar garden beds would eventually fade to silver, just like the existing one. But the Turner family liked the idea of creating a more uniform appearance for all three raised beds -  perhaps even a way to extend the life of the cedar and give all three planters a more ‘polished’ appearance that would be easier to maintain over time. 

Staining all three 4’x8’ raised beds with a semi-transparent, pigmented exterior wood stain was the answer, and applying a heavy coat of stain to the exterior of the two brand new cedar garden beds was easy enough.

But, a semitransparent, exterior wood stain wouldn’t have quite enough pigment to conceal the silver color of the six-year-old raised bed ; it would ‘show through’ the stain, and, thus, not achieve the desired uniform appearance for all three cedar raised beds. 

But this was resolved by simply planing and then sanding the exterior surfaces of the family’s existing planter before applying the stain. In fact, once we completed this step, the original pink/red color of the six-year-old cedar garden bed was essentially fully restored. 

 

And the end result, when all three raised garden beds had been stained with the same semitransparent stain, installed, fitted with drip irrigation and filled with organic soil?

Not bad at all. 

In fact, the three cedar garden beds had a surprisingly uniform appearance.

To us, anyway

Now, can you tell which of the three raised beds is six years old, and which two are brand new?

Take all the time you need.

Have fun with it. 

Study all three raised garden beds closely. 

Zoom in on the photos, but only if you must.

Pick the winner, if you can.

Think of it like a game of three-card-monte on the sidewalk of a big city.

But way less sketchy, and just for fun.

More Space. More Style.

When it comes to home, there’s a fine line between cozy and crowded. 

Small families often grow into bigger ones.

Houses that started out spacious and roomy become cramped when the headcount spikes.

And Givens family found themselves in this very scenario.

At first, their spacious, Southeast Charlotte home - with generous outdoor living area - had plenty of room for mom, dad, four kids and the family dog.

And it still does.

It’s the Givens family’s backyard chicken coop, and the dozen hens that now call it home, that had become too cramped.

It’s not that the old coop wasn’t spacious. 

When the family’s backyard flock was smaller, the tidy looking, gable-roofed structure, with an extended run area, worked just fine. It even had a cool weather vane mounted on the ridge cap of the colored metal roof.

And so what if the coop it wasn’t exactly level. It was a used coop that they found online, and picked up at a bargain.

 

There was plenty of room for the family’s backyard hens to sit back, kick up their toes, and stretch out those wings.

But the Givens family loves their flock of backyard chickens.

And when their modest-sized flock soon grew, the once-roomy, practically-free, not-exactly-level-but-tolerable, backyard chicken coop was no longer up to par.

And not only was the old coop too cramped, but there were other factors at play that prompted the need for a roomier, and also much more attractive backyard coop design.

You see, a transformation of the home’s backyard had already begun before we arrived.

A show-stopping in-ground swimming pool was the centerpiece of the family’s new backyard landscape design, which also included features planned for the old chicken coop’s site.

Now, for her new backyard coop, Anna had already selected a more subtle site at the opposite corner of the backyard. This area of high ground was perfect for a backyard chicken coop ;   nestled into a grove of shade trees that would help keep the coop cooler during the summer months.

 

And, while this wasn’t exactly a rush job, there was some sense of urgency to build the Givens family’s new backyard chicken coop efficiently.

The swimming pool company’s crew had already staked out their area, and competed some of their initial site prep. The portable toilet and pile of muddy scrap lumber lying in the driveway signaled that something big was coming, and soon.

We needed to finalize the new coop design, set things into motion, and wrap-up our work before the really heavy digging on the swimming pool and other backyard enhancements started.

And the large swimming pool, with tiered pool decks and cabana weren’t B-list, straight-to-DVD actors, either. The sprawling pool design, and other upgrades included in the backyard makeover, set the bar for visual appeal very high, indeed. 

Our new backyard chicken coop design had to be just as chic as these A-listers.

So, with the new coop’s site site already selected, the next step was to choose the frame design. 

 

Anna liked the gable roof style of the old coop, but asked us if we could make the pitch of the new coop’s roof steeper - something like the two example photos she provided. 

“Of course we can”, we said and found that a 50 degree gable roof pitch seemed a close match to the gable roofs in the two example photos she provided.

The dimensions of the new coop would be 8’x12’ with a height of about 8’6” from the ground to the top of the ridge beam. This size and shape would give the family’s hens a more open floor plan with more interior height than the old coop - which was more narrow and not as tall.

Anna asked that we stain the new coop’s yellow pine frame to match the color of the existing fence that surrounds the backyard.

“Sure thing”, we replied.

And we’re always happy to accommodate requests to apply pigmented exterior stain or clear wood sealer to any of our backyard garden projects.

We framed the new coop’s gable roof with 2”x4” yellow pine rafters, connected with 2”x6” collar ties and a 2”x6” ridge beam - all joined together using a combination of structural steel screws and exterior deck screws.

Anna Givens selected 26-gauge metal roof panels, in ‘Burnished Slate’ color, that would blend well with the coop’s frame and siding stain color, and also harmonize with the colored metal chimney caps on family’s home. 

 

We built the coop’s 8’ wide gable walls and 12’-wide sidewalls with a combination of 2”x4” yellow pine sole and cap plates, and 4”x4” studs  that are spaced about 4’ apart. This wall frame design increases airflow though the coop and still delivers the required structural strength to shrug off heavy wind, snow and ice loads, not to mention large and determined predators.

The three roughly 4’x4’openings in the 12’-long front wall will also provide the Givens family a generous view of all the fun activity and antics up in their new coop.

And to help ensure that this coop was’t just big enough and sleek enough, but was also tough enough -  that it might also withstand the test of time and perform as long as the swimming pool and other cool backyard enhancements - we placed the coop's frame on a foundation of masonry pavers to prevent ground contact with the wood.

Anna felt that a 4’x6’ hen house built into a corner of the coop would give her dozen hens the right amount of sheltered space to settle in together at night time, and to lay eggs.

 

We agreed, and we framed in the 4’x6’ hen house portion of the coop using yellow pine 4”x4” for vertical wall studs and floor joists, and we chose a hefty sheet of plywood for the henhouse floor.

“After all”, we mused, “the family’s backyard flock will probably keep growing long after we’ve placed the final screw, and packed up our gear.”

“What if they add more hens?”

“Then ducks and turkeys?”

“Hmm.”

“We’d better go ahead and make that hen house extra, super-duper strong”.

Which we did.

After we attached a ‘3-seater’ nesting box that Anna had found online as a kit ( and had impressively assembled herself ), we installed T1-11 siding on all four sides of the henhouse.

We built three hinged doors on the outside of the back of the henhouse, to allow easy access for periodic cleanings. 

 

Inside the coop, we left about 2’ of space between the top the T1-11 siding and the bottom of the ridge beam to improve airflow through the coop, while still providing the needed protection from cold, wet weather.

As with all of our backyard chicken coop designs, we clad the open areas of the frame with 1/2” galvanized hardware cloth ; a burly steel mesh that’s strong enough to thwart the long list of predators - from falcons to foxes, rodents to raccoons - that are sure to put our new coop to the test.  And since we know how sneaky some of these furry little marauders can be, we always bury a strip of hardware cloth around the entire perimeter of the coop. This unglamorous but important step prevents predators from digging underneath - under the cover of darkness - and without it, the most stylish and spacious coop could be compromised on the very first night - rendering all that effort at form, worthless without the essential function.

And we can’t have that, now can we.

Anna requested a Dutch-style entry door for the front gable wall, and we were happy to make that happen. 

 

Decorative tee-hinges and sturdy, lockable latches.

A chicken-sized ladder leading up to the chicken-sized, arched hen house entry.

A touch up here and there with the stain.

This coop was finally move-in ready, and not a moment too soon, either.

As we loaded up our gear and prepared to head out, we’re sure we heard a sharp uptick in squawks and cackles from the dozen hens that were still huddled together in their old coop, on the other side of the backyard.

Was the family’s backyard flock excited about moving into their new residence, and trying to let us know about it with all that commotion? 

We’d like to think so.

After all, they say that chickens are smarter than people think.

And the Givens family's backyard flock certainly does have a smart-looking, new coop to call home.  

 

Repurposed Stone Garden Beds

You won’t have to poke around our website or social media pages for long before you’ll see that red cedar is our building material of choice. 

We use it to build raised garden beds.

Chicken Coops.

Greenhouse Frames.

Potting benches and tiered shelving.

Arbors and trellises.

Compost bins.

Outdoor furniture.

We build these projects with red cedar because it needs no chemical treatment to hold up for many years, exposed to the elements and hungry insects. In fact, for eons, human beings have been using lumber from this special tree for these same building applications. And for the same reasons.

Aromatic red cedar is soft and easy on our tools.

I’s lightweight and easy to carry.

And the iconic red color and unmistakable ‘perfume’ never fail to deliver the ‘wow’ factor on every red cedar garden project we build.

 

But...every so often, a customer asks if can repurpose natural stone from an old patio or pathway to build raised garden beds. 

And even though building with stone or other repurposed or recycled materials isn’t our specialty, we still delight in these occasional chances to ‘mix it up’ and work with natural stone.

 

Natural stone is a lot heavier and more tedious to build with than red cedar.

But natural stone is the undisputed champion of durability.

 

And natural stone can hold its own in a beauty contest with red cedar, too.

 

When natural stone pieces are patiently cut and fitted together, the result is usually a raised garden bed that’s every bit as delightful as the same project made with red cedar. 

 

And what makes these ‘recycled stone’ projects especially fun for our team is that the stone material is already on site - usually not far from where the new raised beds will be built. We don’t need to have the building material delivered to the work site, or bring it over ourselves.

Sometimes we cement the natural stone pieces together with type-s mortar, and sometimes the project is simply a ‘dry stack’.

 

But whatever the case, the objectives of repurposed stone raised beds are the same as with any of our red cedar garden bed installations ; 

6+ hours of sunlight.

Convenient to the kitchen and a water supply.

Filled with a premium organic soil blend.

Set up for success.

 

Twelve Raised Beds. And Growing.

We’ve met plenty of people with large organic gardens. 

Lots of growers have two or three cedar garden beds out in the backyard. 

Four raised garden beds isn’t uncommon.

You might be surprised how many of your neighbors have eight, or even ten cedar planters in their backyard kitchen garden.

But Mike and Melissa McGuire’s request for twelve of our19”-tall Kitchen Garden raised beds, raised eyebrows. 

At least, here at Microfarm.

Now, twelve raised beds might seem excessive - especially for just two people - until you get to know the McGuire’s a little.

See, Mike and Melissa love to cook with fresh, organically-grown ingredients. 

Every day.

And for them, healthy cooking isn’t an occasional whim, it’s a dedicated part of an everyday, healthy lifestyle.

And if anything ever had a hope of rivaling their passion for cooking, it’s their love of organic gardening. 

And this is no fleeting crush, either.

We’re talking about a lifelong, soul-mate level connection here. 

And so, even though it’s just the two of them preparing meals at home, they included twelve cedar garden beds in their new landscape design to help ensure a continuous supply of organic produce.

 

To make Mike and Melissa’s edible garden visually appealing, the couple’s landscape designer - Alverde Landscape Design - varied the cedar garden beds in size from 2’x5’ to 4’x8’ , and arranged the raised beds in a visually appealing layout that also included edible fruit trees, and a series of delightful pea stone pathways for easy access.

Mike and Melissa especially wanted their organic to have the feel of a ‘tranquil alcove’, that conveys a sense of ‘delightful discovery’ when entering the garden. Alverde delivered this request beautifully, with thoughtful placement of the cedar garden beds and pathways, and by subtly screening the perimeter of the organic garden area by specifying garden beds that included 4’-tall, built-in trellises. 

 

An automated drip irrigation system was a foregone conclusion for an organic garden this large. So, we fitted each cedar garden bed with a drip irrigation grid, with a stub out. This made it easy for the Alverde team to connect the drip irrigation in the raised beds to the landscape’s primary irrigation system -  allowing the garden beds to be watered on a dedicated zone at the control panel.

And, as with all of our Kitchen garden raised bed installations, we filled each of the cedar planters with a premium organic soil and amendment blend.

Another edible garden mission accomplished.

But just how useful have all those raised garden beds actually been to Mike and Melissa since we installed them?

We had the perfect opportunity to find out in person, when Mike had us back over about six months later to install yet another cedar planter  -  this one with a built-in trellis to screen a generator and some swimming pool equipment.  

When we arrived with the new planter/trellis, we were delighted to see the signs of activity in the garden that we hoped to find;

Every one of the raised beds filled with thriving edible plants. 

Pruners, garden twine, and hand tools lying close at hand. 

Whimsical garden art, plant stakes, bird feeders, and other fun enhancements that the couple had added since we completed the project. 

Evidence of an active organic garden was everywhere and unmistakable.

But, when Mike came out for a quick photo with his new trellis planter, he erased any doubt about how much the couple might use use their new organic garden.

“We harvest from it and cook meals with the produce just about every day.” he smiled, before turning to walk back to his personal trainer and their morning workout. “We love it.”