Greenhouses: Invest Today for a Brighter Tomorrow

This week, celebrity horticulture expert Monty Don has been extolling the virtues of the humble greenhouse, and with the weather finally warming up, we thought we would provide a timely reminder as to why a greenhouse should be a vital weapon in any serious gardener’s quest for horticultural nirvana.

A greenhouse can have a number uses, some obvious some less so. A greenhouse transforms the way you garden. You are no longer tied to seasonal propagation; a greenhouse owner can stretch their green fingers all year round. Protection from the elements is a key reason why greenhouse owners can be infinitely more productive than those who garden in the traditional way.

This piece is not designed to have a dig at those who choose to garden without a greenhouse, but it is inarguable that a greenhouse should be a key component to any successful gardening enterprise. The ability to grow food and nurture plants all year round is not just applicable to the average gardener – governmental and industrial testimonies reveal all.

Most of the fruit we consume in the EU is grown in what is described as “Europe’s Garden” – the only part of Europe that is technically desert – in the Andalusia area of Spain. This is all made possible thanks to greenhouse technology. Nations across the globe that suffer from extreme weather conditions are adopting modern greenhouse technology in order to feed huge population explosions with China, the Emirate states and Mexico being notable investors. Japan is using greenhouses to grow food in the devastated Fukushima region.

Closer to home, the greenhouse is helping to start a mini-revolution in the way many of us are consuming our fruit and vegetables. The ongoing recession has seen countless people investing in greenhouses for the garden in order to grow their own organically grown produce. The greenhouse is helping to shift attitudes away from the mass produced food we devour, to a more natural holistic approach to consumption.

It is now possible to grow tender plants and exotic fruit from Torquay to Teeside all year round. Why are you looking out of your window at slate grey skies and waiting for the seasons to change? Tomorrow will never come; today you should start to think about what a greenhouse can do for you.

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