greenhouse design.. temperature

[rezi]

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, given all your experience in the hobby, what temperature/light range would provide you the most interesting growing environment? Either species wise or a particular climate or locale you would want to replicate.

I was a little stunned by the general inefficiency of greenhouses and was reconsidering a notion I had about how I envisioned mine--hot humid tropical like. I suppose one's palette for orchids/micro climates evolves until one day your putting together a javanese cave stream orchidarium, or a high andean waterfall.

The Catasetum genus was the first to really capture my imagination but since I have stumbled across many colder growing plants that are enthralling as well. There is a pretty major temperature differential between warm growing orchids and my local climate of Seattle.

For whatever reason the thought of a heater humming away out there all nights, and constantly 9 months of the year, is a little uncomfortable. Electricity in quite cheap here, running NG is an option but seems overkill for a 10x8 greenhouse.

My girlfriend thought it was a little ridiculous to spend nearly what we pay to heat our 1800q/ft hardly update historic house to heat a 10x8 greenhouse.

I wonder how much of a difference careful planning and construction can make. Solid walls and insulation wherever I could. Digging the foundation a foot below grade etc.

There is surprisingly little journals of thoughtful greenhouse construction I could find on the inter webs.