April really ramps up the pace of work inside and outside the greenhouse – here’s what late spring looks like when you live inside a greenhouse.

April’s Weather: A Month of Extremes

Temperatures swung from the low 30s to the low 70s outside, while the greenhouse itself ranged from the mid‑40s to nearly 90 degrees. I kept the roof closed longer each day so that it was warmer inside than it needed to be in an attempt to warm the soil and push the food garden seeds along. Inside the tiny house, I didn’t turn on heat or cooling during the month and was able to have the bedroom doors open to the greenhouse around the clock.

Rain was light this month, which meant I transferred 4,000 gallons from the rain tanks into the pool to make room for whatever May brings. Humidity inside the house stayed in acceptable range.

Outside the Greenhouse: Growth, Weeds, and Wildlife

The driveway weeds staged a full takeover this month. I cleared the gravel path, but the rest will have to wait for my May vacation.

I have a love-hate relationship with deer; they eat everything in their path but the fawns are so cute I love to watch them from May to September. In the ramp garden, I finally found a deer repellent that actually works—Safer brand canisters, have performed so well I immediately bought more. The lilac is untouched, the clematis is budding, and the bulbs I planted last year might actually flower for the first time.

The wildlife meadow is waking up too. Native grasses seeded last year are filling in, although I’m still pulling ox‑eye daisy before they crowd everything out. I leave a portion of this area untouched so fawns have a safe place to bed down.

The Big Upgrade: More Rainwater Storage

The biggest milestone this month is the arrival of another 5,000 gallons of rainwater storage. I’ve been waiting since February for this installation. My existing tanks hold 5,000 gallons but two years ago they ran dry and I had to use pool water to irrigate inside the greenhouse until the rains returned. Last year even the pool ran out before the rains returned. With the new tanks, I’ll be able to capture far more water once fall arrives. I’ll need roughly 6.75 inches of rain to fill everything, which won’t happen until the wet season, but at least the infrastructure is ready.

Inside the Greenhouse: Food, Flowers, and Pests

The food garden was hit with a heavy aphid infestation so I tried a container of ladybugs, especially on the peppermint, sunflowers, and potatoes. The asparagus is thriving—some stalks are already six feet tall—and the peach tree is loaded with fruit, some already an inch and a half across.

The pool remains a saga. I patched one leak successfully, but the main leak persists. My son found an acoustic leak detector that costs a fraction of what the professionals charge, so that may be the next step. But in the meantime the pool is able to store 4,000 gallons of rainwater as backup irrigation supply and helps as a temperature buffer.

Beds across the greenhouse are filling in: radishes and carrots are nearly ready to thin, strawberries are fruiting, the olive tree is flowering, basil and bok choy are sown, the bay laurel has more than 6” of new growth, and peas are starting to climb the arbor.

A Perfect Month for Greenhouse Living

April is warm enough to open the doors for wind pollination and cool enough to enjoy the greenhouse from morning to evening. It’s the sweet spot of the year—lush, bright, and full of possibility.

If you want to see the full walkthrough, Episode 113 on YouTube brings all of this to life.