Gardening here in the Far North has changed so very much for the better in the 32 years of my residency that sometimes I am just dazzled. We gardeners have pushed the envelope of what can be grown here in terms of food and flowers that we now have quite an array of what can be grown. The list of what can't be grown has been drastically cut, thankfully.

One of the tools that more of us should take advantage of is a greenhouse. I know. The word "greenhouse" may strike fear into your heart and wallet.

But for the last 11 years I have had a SunGlo greenhouse. In the fall of 1991 we (my nongardening spouse, John, and I) put together our first SunGlo, filled the bins with soil, wired it for heat and waited for winter to come and go. That first spring was a huge trial and error in the art of growing plants in a greenhouse.

The cost of the greenhouse was dazzling and gave me pause for thought: What if I can't grow anything in here? No need to have worried. There is nothing like a little protection from weather for plants to respond in a most positive manner.

If you are debating whether or not to make the leap and buy a greenhouse, may I wholeheartedly suggest that you go ahead and do it. You will not ever regret your decision.

I often suggest to those who are considering the investment that fall is the ideal time to build one, wire it and fill the bins with soil. That way it is all ready for spring planting. But, in case you have not heeded my previous advice, spring is as good a time as any.

Even though I have now owned two SunGlos please do not take this as an endorsement. There are so many excellent greenhouses out there that will do wonders for you. Take the time to check out what the local market has to offer. Spenard Builders Supply has a basic model that you can put together and Wagon Wheel has a lovely little number that will make you think you are in England. There are excellent plans to build your own through the Cooperative Extension Office in Soldotna. Or use your imagination. I have seen so many lovely greenhouses made from recycled windows, their charm belies their function.

Franco Venuti made the excellent suggestion to use plastic totes for the growing bins. The bins in mine are three foot squares by eight inches deep. One tomato to a bin seems to do the job.

Which brings us to what to grow in your new greenhouse.

Tomatoes are the prime fruit that Alaskans seem to long for after a cold, dark winter. I like to start mine the end of February, in the house, under supplemental lights. The heat to the greenhouse will be turned on about St. Patrick's Day, if the weather prophecy is for overcast skies that would indicate relatively warm temperatures. Clear skies are naught but trouble, plunging the mercury far lower than my heater can keep pace with. Beware: it can get very cold in March.

There are so very many tomatoes out there, you need to experiment. What you consider a tasty tomato may be a disappointment to another. I do have my favorites: Sungold, a deep orange, sweet cherry tomato that is excellent for eating right off the vine. The other is Brandywine. An heirloom tomato, this is a beefsteak, meaning it is huge. Not really a deep red and oddly shaped, it is not the most handsome tomato I have ever seen, once again proving that looks are not everything. The taste meets our needs. Two of these sturdy plants are all we need.

I had excellent success with red bell peppers (Red Beauty) last year. It has been many years since I last planted peppers in the greenhouse. They do attract aphids, which can be so very bothersome. But these were huge and thick and delicious and the aphids did not show up and three plants were too many in one bin (whew!), something I will correct this year.

The favorite cucumber forever has been Sweet Success. The vines are at least six feet and need some support. I like to use halibut line and make a trellis for the vine to climb on. But there are lots more cukes out there that may serve your needs better than this, go ahead and find one you really like.

Cantaloupes are enormously successful in a greenhouse. I have had excellent luck with Alaska. Honestly, they look exactly like the ones in the store but once you have tasted a melon that you have grown yourself (hopefully using organic methods) and picked at the moment of perfection, you will be hooked forever.

What you do not want to plant in a greenhouse is anything that needs to be cool, like all of the cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) that do so very well for us outside in the Far North.

I do like to put peas, radishes and lettuce in the bins right away so there is an early harvest. These go in the same time that the greenhouse plants are set into the bins. By the time these are harvested the outdoor crops are coming on and the greenhouse crops will be needing more space anyway. It is ever so interesting to see just how early you can make a harvest.