A small wonder

Country Living Garden Editor Stephanie Donaldson muddled along for ten years with a less-than-ideal, narrow conservatory in a sheltered, south-facing garden before she was able to decide on her choice of green house.

“Finding a suitable place for my greenhouse was quite a headache. Most of the garden is on a fairly steep slope and there is a very large tulip tree that drops lots of debris, so it needed to be clear of its damage zone. Over the years I played around with several different locations and styles but all were ruled out for some reason or another. Expense was a major consideration, but so, too, was style – the house is a quirky combination of Queen Anne with a rather utilitarian mid-20th century addition, so the last thing it needed was an ornate structure complete with twirly finials. I wanted something plain, simple and practical that wasn’t pretending to be anything other than a greenhouse, but well-made and pleasing to the eye – the sort of greenhouse Terence Conran would design if he made such things.

One make met all the criteria – Gabriel Ash. Made from cedar wood, it can be left untreated and unpainted and will soften to a silvery-grey. There is a bench that can be moved to either side and it is well ventilated with opening windows on two sides and autovents in the roof. The sliding door is a safe option in my sometimes windy south-coast garden. It is an ideal working greenhouse allowing me to grow from seed, propagate and plant tender crops such as tomatoes in its border. After much deliberation the terraced potager in the sheltered southern corner of the garden was chosen as the best placefor the greenhouse, especially as the recent acquisition of an allotment meant I could grow the majority of my vegetables elsewhere. At this point I had to go a bit ‘off-piste’. On a sloping site with tricky access and more than a metre of light, sandy topsoil, the recommended foundations would have required motorway- style excavation and huge amounts of concrete, neither of which was desirable or warranted. Luckily, my local builder was reassuring (local knowledge can be very useful) and constructed the greenhouse on a timber framework that rests on four sunken corner posts. It is solid as a rock.

Since its completion it has been in constant use – the border grows tomatoes in summer and winter salads from autumn onwards. The bench and shelf have an ever-changing selection of seedlings and young plants as they wait their turn to move outside. So far I’ve managed well without power or light – any seeds that need heat to germinate are started in a propagator in the kitchen and are moved into the greenhouse as soon as they are through. We seldom get any frosts here – if you do in your area I would recommend the installation of power. I did, however, invest in roof blinds to provide shade when needed and a louvre window opposite the door for maximum ventilation. This spring, once I had harvested the winter salads, I swapped the slatted bench to the other MAIN PICTURE Made from cedar wood, Stephanie’s greenhouse is simple but stylish. The sliding door was a good choice for a windy, coastal garden side of the greenhouse so that I could rest the border used last year.

This small greenhouse has met my needs well, providing a steady supply of young plants for the allotment and flower garden, but I still use my skinny conservatory (effectively a glazed corridor) to overwinter a collection of tender plants. By keeping them apart from the seedlings I can also minimise the risk of pests or diseases being introduced into the greenhouse – an important consideration for an organic gardener.”