The $5 Breezeway Grow Room

We have an uninsulated breezeway between the garage and our 1940’s house in Indiana that happens to have south-facing windows. So, we put it to use and moved our two Garden Tower® 2 vertical planting systems inside for the winter.

We started a crop of broccoli, spinach, red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, radishes and carrots in the late fall while the Garden Tower® 2 systems were outside. Although the lack of insulation, cold temperatures, and limited light slowed things down, we were still able to produce lettuce, broccoli, and radishes all winter long. The best part is that everything will be ready for a full spring harvest in March — if we don’t eat it all before then.

Setting Up the System

We hung the mylar foil behind the Garden Tower® 2 planting systems to catch the window light and reflect it back to the rearward plants. Using cheap emergency blankets from a big box store that were two for $2, I turned the foil blankets into curtains in about 10 minutes with some duct tape.

We then used a scavenged piece of electrical conduit (a few bucks new) from an old rooftop TV antenna as a curtain rod.

Here’s what it looks like from inside the breezeway.  Notice the mylar foil is gold on one side and chrome on the other; I oriented the chrome or mirror finish towards the Garden Tower® 2 planting systems.   

In April these Garden Tower® 2 planting systems get to go back outside!