Our Guide To Choosing The Perfect Greenhouse

Our Guide To Choosing The Perfect Greenhouse: With the evenings staying lighter for longer and spring on the horizon, now is the perfect time to start planning ahead for your summer garden projects. Offering versatile space for growing plants and vegetables year-round, the addition of a garden greenhouse means you can look forward to expanding your garden and providing the perfect conditions for your beloved plants to thrive. Check out our guide to everything from the different framing materials to ventilation below to learn more about which greenhouse style best suits your needs and become a greenhouse guru in no time!

Key Features and What They Mean

Style

Freestanding

Ideal for more open spaces where lighting and window access won’t be limited by garden walls, a freestanding greenhouse is the hub of any garden. Many freestanding models do not require a base to be laid and offer easier ground level access, with a large, open capacity to store plenty of plants and tools and some models offer additional internal height space to extend your planting experience.

Lean-to

Perfect for saving space in a smaller garden, a lean-to greenhouse can be added to an existing garden wall to create a compact area for potting plants. This allows you to place your greenhouse wherever the sun best hits your garden and results in a more manageable gardening solution, with the added stability of using a sturdy wall for support. Bring your greenhouse to your doorstep and attach to the side of your home in order to simply step out of your back door and into your growing haven.

Patio

For smaller patio spaces and courtyards, a patio greenhouse is the perfect solution to owning a greenhouse in a smaller, more awkward space. These more compact designs still provide the perfect conditions for growing fruits, vegetables and plants with a thoughtful design that maximises on limited space.

Potting Shed

Potting sheds are a perfect blend of the benefits of both a traditional garden shed and a greenhouse. Providing the ample storage space of a shed and the lighting and sunny interior of a greenhouse, this is a building that offers the best of both worlds.

Greenhouse and Shed Combi

A greenhouse and shed combi means that gardeners can enjoy the benefits of both a greenhouse and storage shed in a single structure. Keeping these two zones separate, you can utilise the capacity of the building to securely store garden tools and bikes whilst also enjoying an elevated growing space thanks to the greenhouse features such as large potting areas and lots of light from the many large windows.

Materials

Aluminium Frame

As the most popular style of greenhouse frame, aluminum is renowned for its lightweight composition that makes it easy to assemble and handle, whilst also providing robust support for your greenhouse. It has the added benefit of not rusting or rotting (and no annual maintenance), so that it can endure the elements throughout the changing seasons for many years to come. Aluminium frames also offer the option of powder coating, allowing you to customise your greenhouse with a high-spec finish in a wide variety of colours to suit all garden settings.

Wooden Frame

Offering a traditional style that can be easily paired with other timber garden features, such as decking and pergolas, a wooden greenhouse can be easily customised with a paint shade of your choice to blend into your garden setting perfectly. With the correct treatment and annual upkeep, it will also be protected against rot and the wear-and-tear of the elements, for a long-lasting build.

Accessories

Ventilation

Perhaps the most critical feature of any greenhouse is its ventilation system, which maintains a healthy airflow to your plants in warmer weather. Manual roof and louvre vents are a standard feature of many models and easy to operate whilst you attend to your plants, whereas an auto vent is cleverly designed to open and close automatically depending on the temperature of your greenhouse. Automatic roof and louvre vents are a great solution for busy gardeners who spend a lot of time working away from home or simply have planned a day out, as it means you don’t have to be around to open up. Be sure to keep an eye out for this key feature on any models you’re interested in.

Rainwater Collection

Plants thrive on rainwater and with a rainwater collection kit, you can make the most of this natural resource. Utilise guttering, drainpipes and water barrels in the damper seasons to collect the downpour and use it to nourish your plant life.

Staging

Easily store a variety of potted plants with a clever solution tailored to perfectly suit your greenhouse. Though staging can be included with some models, it can also be purchased separately to customise your greenhouse layout to suit your needs. In many cases, the staging can also be adjusted in height to accommodate different plant heights and allow for the storage of grow bags underneath, maximising your ground space.

Shelving

Shelving is an essential feature for containing utensils and tools all in one place, making your greenhouse a one-stop facility. This can also be included with some models or purchased separately to find the perfect shelving for your greenhouse.

Heaters & Lighting

Protect your plants even further by combatting the effects of the colder, frostier weather with the addition of a greenhouse heater. A heater makes it possible for you to grow plants and vegetables year-round without worrying about the cold stunting their growth.

Products displayed

Freestanding – Image shows the 6 x 6 Elite High Eaves Greenhouse in optional Stone powder coated finish.

Lean-To – Image shows the Elite Winsor Lean-To Greenhouse in optional graphite powder coated finish.

Patio - Image shows the 4 x 11 Forest Victorian Tall Wall Greenhouse.

Potting Shed - Image shows the 6 x 8 Forest Shiplap Dip Treated Potting Shed.

Greenhouse and Shed Combi - Image shows the 10 x 6 Mercia Traditional Greenhouse and Shed Combi.

Aluminium – Image shows the 5 x 8 Elite Streamline Greenhouse.

Wooden - Image shows the 4 x 3 Forest Victorian Walkaround Greenhouse.

Ventilation - Image shows the Elite Manual Roof Vent.

Rainwater Collection - Image shows the Elite Rainwater Collection Kit.

Staging – Image shows the 7 Slat Elite Diamond Staging in optional Green powder coated finish.

Shelving – Image shows the Elite Diamond Shelving (above the Diamond Staging) in optional Stone powder coated finish.

Heating - Image shows the 1.9KW Elite Blue Flame Gas Heater.; 17th February 2022