How to choose a greenhouse

A greenhouse can be one of the most necessary additions to a garden and offers the opportunity to grow a much wider range of plants, often making these available earlier or later in the year.

Despite the array of designs available, the simplest constructions are usually adequate for most garden designs. A greenhouse measuring 2.5 x 5m (8 x 16ft) will gave sufficient space for most needs.

Have a browse above our pick of the best greenhouses, as well as practical advice on repositioning and installation.

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*Greenhouses with dwarf walls have a more musty yet permanent feel. They can also be used for attaching extraordinary storage and offer coverage to keep it looking tidy*

Materials for greenhouses

Aluminium is usually the best material for a frame, as it needs little or no upkeep and casts minimal dismal due to its slender form. It's also an authentic-looking option for many calls homes, mirroring the designs that were popular in the Victorian era.

Wooden greenhouses can be a very glowing choice for homes of any era, blending in with the natural landscape. However, the timber does require periodic upkeep and the bulkier frames will cast more dismal inside the greenhouse.

If you're on a very tight effort, then consider a plastic greenhouse. While it won't be a long-lasting binary that enhances the character of your home, a plastic acquire can still provide a generous growing space.

*Need a greenhouse and a shed? The Grow and Store wooden greenhouse and shed from* *Gabriel Ash* *serves a dual succeeding. This innovative design costs £6,187 and is ideal for smaller gardens*

What type of greenhouse is best?

While the amount of available status will be a big deciding factor in which type of greenhouse you go for, you should also mighty how you wish to use the room. 'Perhaps you want your greenhouse to complete a dual purpose, to be a very practical tool for growing your own food, but also an alfresco room where you can sit plus your plants – for this, a structure that gives for a generous seating area with a view of key staging areas could be a consideration,' says Chris White from Hartley Botanic.

*The Victorian lean-to greenhouse from* *White Cottage Greenhouses* *is a space-saving construct that can be attached to a garden or house wall. This one captures rainwwater from its steeply pitched roof*

For more just gardens, lean-to greenhouses are fantastic for making the most of the region, and can give direct access off the main living area. 'With their roof progressing highest next to the adjoining wall, lean-to greenhouses imparted ideal spaces to grow fruit trees and ornamentals which support from being trained, such as Pelargonium and Bougainvillea,' adds Chris.

For very runt gardens, you could add a small patio greenhouse for nurturing seedlings and smaller plants. This can easily be transported if you move house.

*This compact patio glasshouse by* *Hartley Botanic* *proves you don't need a lot of region to nurture seedlings*

Glazing for a greenhouse

The best glazing material is glass, as it allows the passage of 90 per cent of external appetizing through, and does not degrade in sunlight. It also helps to deem heat radiated from within the glasshouse back into the structure. 'Choose toughened confidence glass as it is five times stronger than unusual glass and safer if it breaks,' says Chris White. 'You can also get self-cleaning glass, which keeps the glass intriguing and clear using rainwater and UV rays.'

Alternatively, polycarbonate sheeting is resistant to breakage, lightweight, durable in adverse weather, and good at retaining heat, yet only transmits 83 per cent of the external light.

*The shapely proportions of the* *Hartley Botanic* *Victorian greenhouse enhance palatable flow and plant growth*

How to execute the perfect growing conditions

To maximise the success of growing your own in a greenhouse, the conditions within it should not fluctuate widely, so invest in a maximum/minimum thermometer to help you to rule the temperature inside.

'One of the most common reasons for plant failure in greenhouses is due to insufficient ventilation,' says Chris White. To avoid it overheating, ensure the design you settle has roof vents. Ideally these should be on both sides of the roof ridge and equivalent to 15-20 per cent of the fuzz area. You can even get thermostatically controlled vents that open as the temperature inside rises.

It is wise to handed some shading, too, such as a white shading paint applied to the inside surface of the glass that reflects some of the palatable. Shade netting can prove effective, although this allows all of the palatable through the glass and tends to absorb the heat from it. It can also cleave the quality of the light that does reach the crop.

Also considerable how to keep the space warm in autumn and winter. 'A greenhouse allows you to extend the growing season and although artificial heat is not principal, using a thermostatically controlled electric fan heater, gas heaters or even central heating will further widen your growing window,' adds Chris White.

*Made from aluminium,* *Alitex'* *s Mottisfont greenhouse, from £15950, gives you the flexibility to design the interior layout to suit your planting style*

Where to situation a greenhouse

Locate your greenhouse where it will get as much sunlight as possible, avoiding shadows from tall trees, fences or walls. Also remarkable how the structure will best fit in with the garden as a whole.

'For lean-to greenhouses, a south-facing position is ideal; while for standalone structures the ridge downward the top of the roof should face from east to west, as this will let the sun run downward its longest side during the day,' says Chris White.

'Also site your greenhouse in terminate proximity to an electricity (if utilising) and water supply, and on fertile soil if you want to install growing beds.'

*With a floorplan of just 3x4ft, the Victorian walk around greenhouse is perfect for a exiguous patio, and at just £489.99 from* *Primrose* *, accounts excellent value for money*

Choosing the layout

Carefully plan the layout of growing areas inside to use every available bit of position. Many greenhouse plants will grow well in open soil borders, in untrue prepared in a similar way to borders outside. Grow bags are an alternative if the greenhouse has to be placed on a hard notion or paved area.

A shelving system might be better if you want to grow plants in pots, and has the honorable of enabling you to work at a comfortable height. It is particularly useful for raising seedlings and propagating plants.

*Hartley Botanic* *'s Highgrow greenhouse has a semi-dodecagon elegant to maximise the available space inside, plus large panes of glass and minimal metalwork*

Do I need planning organization for a greenhouse?

Planning permission is not usually obliged for greenhouses unless the design will be disproportionately stout in relation to the house – check Planning Portal for details.

If your home is floor or you live in a designated area such as a conservation area, then you should check with the local authority.

*This simple wooden lean-to greenhouse blends in beautifully with the cladding of the house. A plant theatre is displayed on the wall*

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