A greenhouse, the kind that plants grow in not the color of your home, can extend the growing season in cold climates by several months.
 With food prices rising and expected to get higher, more and more people are turning to growing food in their own gardens.
 A small greenhouse can make a big difference in the yield of a garden because you can start plants while there is still snow on the ground and you can continue to grow way past the time the frost is on the pumpkins.
Most people assume that the best material for building greenhouses is glass.
 They assume that since glass lets almost all the light through it must be better for the plants.
 This is not the case as materials that diffuse the light actually work better.
Glass tends to allow light through unevenly so there are shadows formed which means some plants get more light than others.
 What works much better is to use materials that have a smoky appearance which means you can't see through them.
 This causes the light to scatter more and covers the plants more evenly.
 Have you ever noticed how bright it seems inside a greenhouse with semi-transparent walls and ceiling? It is because the light is coming at you from all directions.
The other reason to not use glass is the danger if it is broken.
 When greenhouses were constructed out of glass years ago it was not uncommon for a pane to break causing a cut.
 Some of these accidents could be very bloody if the pane of glass fell out of the roof and crashed down on the person.
 It is much safer to have garden greenhouses constructed out of fiberglass or plastic materials like polyethylenes and polycarbonates.
 These also have the added benefit of light scatter as discussed above.
Glass is not the material that modern day greenhouses are constructed of and it is easy to see why.
 Glass does not provide an even light like other materials and it is dangerous if a pane breaks.
 Use a good fiberglass or plastic to cover your garden green house and enjoy extra months of fresh veggies.