Greenhouses. Where to start. Big? Small? Wood? Aluminium? Glass? Plastic?
I was all set to browse the web to give you an in-depth guide as to what to look for in a greenhouse. Then, as luck would have it, I stumbled across an informative blog I’d forgotten Jack had written a couple of years ago entitled Jack’s Greenhouse Guide which details all the main points you need to consider. So that’s made my life a whole lot easier.
It got me thinking though. Why have a greenhouse at all? Well, lots of reasons really.
- It’s sheltered, dry and warm – for both you and your plants (definitely my sort of gardening).
- You can grow fresh fruit and veg all year.
- Save money on your supermarket bills.
- Go organic and grow food free from harmful pesticides.
- Save money on replacing your garden plants each year.
- An opportunity to grow a much wider range of plants.
- Easier to maintain than your garden – no weeds!
- Protect your plants in the winter – just add heat with a small electric heater when the temperature dips below freezing.
- Protect your plants from insects, pests and the weather.
- And, most importantly, it’s a quiet getaway to escape to from the stresses of the world (and your husband) – a haven to contemplate life, just you and your tomatoes.
So now you’ve been swayed by my words of wisdom and have decided that a greenhouse is a must for your garden I thought I’d put together the following few gems of advice.
- Don’t put your greenhouse near your children’s football pitch!
- Choose a location near electricity so you can use heaters, fans, lighting and propagators (make sure professionally fitted and properly earthed).
- Make sure it’s near a water supply to make life easier for you and your watering can and for automatic watering systems.
- East-west positioning is best to gain maximum sunlight in the winter and spring.
- Prevent mould by washing the interior glass with warm soap and water.
- Keep the outside glass clean to guarantee your plants get maximum sunshine.
- Ventilation should be equal to at least 1/5th of the floor area.
- Make the greenhouse rodent-proof (good luck with that one).
And now for some fun facts. There aren’t many.
- George Washington grew his pineapples in a greenhouse in Mount Vernon, Virginia.
Well, I hope this gives you a few things to mull over. And while you’re doing that take a look at Jack’s fabulous range of aluminium greenhouses and wooden greenhouses of all sizes – you’ll be amazed at the choice.
And finally, why did the greenhouse call a doctor? Because it had window pains….(sorry, couldn’t resist).
Happy (warm) gardening!
