While new gardeners are just now considering what to plant for the season ahead, their more experienced neighbors are already tending tomato seedlings in the greenhouse. Fluctuating temperatures and blustery conditions make spring uncertain on the Outer Cape, but greenhouses offer safe harbor for plants that need a warmer start than nature provides. Look for greenhouses in your neighborhood — you’ll probably want to get to know their owners. They’re likely to be practical, plan-ahead types who’ve been gardening for years. They’ll have good advice and maybe even cuttings, starts, or seeds to share. The greenhouses hidden among us are like little boxes of hope. —Molly Newman

Scott and Trudi Brazil built their Truro greenhouse-with-a-view from a Harbor Freight Tools kit. Start to finish, the project took them two days. (Photo Molly Newman)

Samuel Agger is still finishing the Wellfleet greenhouse he’s been working on for a year. The reward for his investment is repurposed windows, gleaned from neighbors’ renovation projects. He’s using corrugated plastic for the roof. (Photo Molly Newman)

When Laura Kelley got a call that a greenhouse in Chatham needed to be removed, she found a friend with tools and spent the next 48 hours shuttling pieces back to her North Eastham home. Pay attention to getting the ventilation right, she says — otherwise it can get too hot inside. (Photo Laura Kelley)

The greenhouse Daniel Dejean built in Wellfleet is an artfully designed hodgepodge of old windows. It’s stacked with clay pots in the winter. (Photo Molly Newman)