Rebuild M’s greenhouse after the fire

During the start of the pandemic, Mariana and I moved in with her parents to wait out the chaos around us. Intergenerational living can be difficult so Mariana leaned heavily into Gardening to calm her nerves and try to make sense of the world. The backyard of her parents' property had suffered a massive tree fall and windstorm. The cleanup and removal of the trees lead to a flourishing garden that continues to grow with boxes and trellises of all kinds.

I wanted to support her in this however I could, so I aspired to build a greenhouse. I had never done anything like that before, but it seemed like just the same and I spent much of that summer educating myself, and through much trial and error, eventually, the result was nicer than any of us would have anticipated.

 Mariana came into her own, honing her passion for gardening. Her daily vegetable harvests were being used as still life models for artists she had never met. Gardeners from across the country and in Europe, impressed with her passion, began sending her specific seeds that she began to curate year after year.

This space was her workshop, her sanctuary and her peace. Last week, disaster struck. A mason jar with water caught the sun just right, and acting as a magnifying glass, it ignited some plants that were being dried for seeds. The flames rose fast, and the fire burned hot and dirty. The plastic panels sent noxious black smoke high into the air, and in a matter of minutes, three years of work was undone.

I’ve never seen her so gutted over anything. That garden was her peace, and the greenhouse was the center of it. She lost all her tools and equipment, along with a huge store of carefully curated seeds gathered for the past three years. The yard looks like Mordor, and we are clearing debris and the soil contaminated from so much melted plastic.

I would like to rebuild it for her. I can do it faster and better the second time around, and I’m willing to put in all the labor. I expect it will be a slog with the insurance company, and I would really like to get started as soon as possible. Her birthday is August 25, and for anyone that wants to chip in a bit, this would be the best birthday present you could get her. The first build cost around $6000 in materials. I anticipate it will be a good chunk more to do properly, but if I can get a good start, that’s what I’m looking for here, as well as replacing some of her tools. I did save some metal tools from the ashes that I’ll be refurbishing, but at this point, she will need new everything.