Help A Disabled Veteran Repair Her Greenhouse

Hello! My name is Marie. I'm a service connected disabled Army veteran with PTSD and several medical issues.

In July 2020, I purchased my dream retirement house - a single floor 1959 rambler with very good accessibility. It's located in the city, but abuts a nature preserve in the back, a perfect balance for me.

The star of the house is a 1971 Everlite GL-3 greenhouse attached to my garage. I had not done any gardening since helping my parents as a child. Since moving in, I've rediscovered my love for it. This spring, I fostered several flower and vegetable seedlings for friends, in addition to my own seedlings. Much to my joy, my plants have been very successful!

Time in the greenhouse has become a mental salve; whether I'm tending to my plants, reading a book, or simply drinking tea and watching the local wildlife.

Northeast Ohio had a horrible windstorm on 11 August. The WEA emergency message warned of 80mph winds, to take shelter immediately. I did.

On 12 August, I was feeling very flustered after waking up to a morning storm-related a power outage. The power company text message said estimated restoration: 10pm 13 August -- 34 hours later. When my freezer temperature climbed above 0°F around lunch time, my brain launched into fix-now-panic-later mode. I was just about to go buy dry ice when the power was finally restored. Of course, that mindset is exhausting, even when everything turns out OK in the end.

I needed some greenhouse time to clear my head. The storms made me late for my usual morning watering, but having passed - everything seemed safe enough. (avoid big glass during storms!) I was at the top of my kitchen ladder photographing some cherry tomato flowers I had just hand-pollinated, when a maple tree branch suddenly crashed down! Several panes of glass broke. When the large pieces hit my metal patio table, they exploded into shards and flew across several plants, as well as a ways past me into the garage, all in a split second. I looked down. There were shards scattered across the surface of the soil in the tomato planter less than 2-feet below the step I was standing on. Had I been crouched down watering the tomato pots as usual, instead of photographing up top, I would have been cut badly.

There was gobsmacked shock. There was panic. If any neighbors heard my exclamations, they've so far been kind enough to not mention it.

Several of my plants were damaged by the flying glass shards, and all of them are camped in my garage with no noteworthy sunlight for the time being. Extra disappointing is that all 8 of my cherry tomato plants had just started their second flowering and fruit set.

Now I'm facing a couple hundred dollars of tree work, a $1000 insurance deductible, and sundries. Losing plants on top of that all feels like insult to injury.

Why is replacing some broken glass going to be so expensive?

The glass seals are 50 year old putty, but that's not the modern standard for this setup, so properly seating and sealing the replacements with new material will require stripping two rows of glass. The rails and unbroken panes will also need to be pressure washed for best adhesion. The repairs will require scaffold and overhead work, which I am physically unable to perform. This really is pro-only stuff.

The original installation lasted 50 years. My greenhouse technician told me this grade of construction is far above typical modern consumer grade greenhouses, and could far outlive me if repaired correctly. It will need specialty parts. I researched them; they are not cheap, and they only ship by crated freight. Even general material costs are higher than usual now. The expenses pile up.

To ensure ongoing safety, I will also need to have a tree specialist prune any other branches that may be poised to visit my greenhouse. Preventative tree maintenance is an out-of-pocket expense.

On 13 August, I tarped the greenhouse to prevent water damage between now and when the repairs can take place. Yes, there were more exclamations that my neighbors have been kind enough not to complain about. We had more heavy storms prior to hanging that tarp, and I had to empty water from my buckets and wheelbarrow more than once. I'm hoping the tarp will sufficiently mitigate any more water entry.

I removed the branch to clear the roofline for the tarp, but there is still quite a lot of broken glass overhead that I can't safely remove myself. Because of that glass, the primary safe space where I retreat when things are not OK is still a danger zone, right when this danger is exactly why I need salved. I need it to be repaired as soon as possible.

The greenhouse gives me sanctuary and has been very beneficial for my PTSD. Growing plants for family and friends additionally provides me a way to give back to those who help me.

If this campaign raises more money than I need to repair my greenhouse and prune the maple tree, I will donate overage to an organization that offers horticultural therapy. This way others can benefit from the same peace of mind that tending to all my plants gives me.

Thank you for your support!