Greenhouse Types and Uses – A Decision To Be Made?
We often get asked to explain the differing types of greenhouses we offer and also the suitability of each greenhouse for certain growing ambitions and garden sizes. In our experience though the first thing to ask yourself is how you see yourself using your greenhouse. Your new glasshouse can become your garden refuge and there is more to a greenhouse than simply a tool to grow plants.
We have just come through some of the darkest months, and you could be mistaken in thinking the garden you so fondly loved last year has gone forever. A few hours spent in your greenhouse can soon reassure you this is not the case. There is something relaxing and reassuring about spending time pottering in your greenhouse, the aroma of cedar combined with damp compost, overwintering plants and newly sprouting seedlings warmed by winter sun is irresistible.
A greenhouse helps you to enjoy your little plot despite the worst of the weather that the seasons can throw at you. In our time precious lives we have to diarise slots for our hobbies, so gone are the days you have a day booked in the garden only to be faltered by the weather, you can now hide away in the greenhouse.
Greenhouses offer a warm sanctuary for plants with the internal temperature several degrees warmer than outside helping plants and humans alike to enjoy the space. It is however the all year round weather protection a greenhouse provides that is its best offering. Protection from the extremes of weather, be that torrential downpours or biting winds. Plants appreciate being protected from these extremes of conditions even in a basic unheated greenhouse. Heating a greenhouse is another option to consider to future proof your new greenhouse. You might want to allow for a power supply so if you become addicted to escaping to the greenhouse all through the seasons, you can have lighting on the darkest of winter days and maybe by adding greenhouse heaters you can increase the range of plants you grow.
The extended growing season is the best benefit new greenhouse owners appreciate and if planned correctly you can be harvesting vegetable and salad crops up until Christmas and again in very early spring. Your vegetable garden will never be the same again and you will be able to grow a wider range of plants with more success, like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chillies. Propagating your own seeds for planting out into the vegetable plot is also one of the most rewarding of tasks. If you have children what better way to show them how food is produced, safe in the knowledge that you know exactly what you are feeding to your precious little tribe.
Its not just vegetables though that you might want to grow, there is a wonderful resurgence currently for house plants like cacti and succulents. Plants offer such benefits creating brighter, calmer, more relaxing spaces in the home and office. If you are a house plant addict already your home might be burgeoning with plants. Do you need additional space to rotate your interior display or simply to give them a boost of light? You might want to propagate your favourites so you never lose any, or to give away to friends and family. For the busy, time short gardener these plants are ideal because they require less maintenance on a daily basis but still provide a wonderful oasis for a calm retreat.
Still struggling to make a decision on how you will use your greenhouse or which size you require? My advice would be to create a wish list and work back from there. Is your greenhouse simply going to be used through the summer months for tomatoes, etc. Is it going to be somewhere to retreat to, to enjoy the feeling of being outside yet protected from the elements, will you sit and relax in your glazed retreat with a cup of tea or maybe even a G&T?
If you are still struggling for inspiration why not visit our show room or come and see us at the many RHS shows we exhibit at. We always dress our greenhouses to inspire you in how yours could be used. We also have a large gallery of images being generated on our Instagram account to help you dream of your ideal greenhouse. Remember this might be a once in a lifetime purchase, so it is worth the time and effort to consider all the options happy in the knowledge your new greenhouse is the right choice for you.