Greenhouse Wisdom
(Continued)

Buyer's Guide

If the warm glow of wood appeals to you, consider Pounds’ elegant enclosure which is 3.35m (11ft) x 1.8m (6ft) by 2.32m (7ft 8in) high. Costing £720 in deal and £930 in cedar, it comes with a pressure-treated timber base, roof vent and generous sliding door.

Elegance personified. There’s no other phrase for Alitex’s three quarter-span lean-to, around 3.6m (12ft) wide and 6.7m (22ft) long. Constructed with high quality coated aluminium and priced at £10,000, it adds greatly to the value of your house. A steep pitched roof ensures good air flow and offers a degree of frost protection.

If you are stuck with a small, low wall, position against it one of a trio of accommodating Access Micros. Just 47cm (19in) deep and designed for narrow, paved areas, there’s plenty of growing room. Indeed, the 1.2m (4ft) long model takes up just 6sq ft of space but provides 24sq ft of growing room. Prices range from £249, £334 and £539 for 1.2m (4ft), 1.8m (6ft) and 2.4m (8ft) long models, respectively.

Warm it with a radiator linked to your heating system

Sports mad
For sports-keen families greenhouses are not out of the question as long as the house is clad with shatterproof 4mm twin-wall and heat-retaining polycarbonate.

If you are erecting it yourself, check carefully that the base is horizontal and right angles are precise

Store More Garden Buildings’ single-door Flora Sun will resist a battering. It comes in three sizes: from 2.1m (7ft) x 2.2m (7ft 5in) to 2.1m (7ft) x 3.8m (12ft 2in). Prices range from £369 to £495. There are double door versions, too.

Regal’s polycarbonate- glazed Countess, described in ‘On a Budget’ is a good alternative.

For specialists
If your hobby is orchids, alpines or other plants that need dedicated care, it’s sensible to have a greenhouse that caters for them. Admittedly, it can be expensive, but if a particular plant appeals to you, then the outlay is warranted.

For price and quality, Hartley Botanic’s aluminium selection takes some beating. Stunningly architectural, it’s the curve roofed models that appeal to me. In particular, the New Wisley 8, starting at £1,162. At 2.44m (8ft 2in) wide and 2.25m (7ft 6in) high, there are eight models, from 2.34m (7ft 8in) to 7.38m (24ft 8in) long. Toughened safety glass comes as standard.

Alitex has pioneered a range of ornate and practical aluminium Victorian greenhouses and customised them beautifully. Consult the experts and they will do the rest.

For over 50 years, CH Whitehouse has manufactured specialist greenhouses from western red cedar. Their three versions of alpine house are fully ventilated to keep plants at the right temperature and come with deep gravel bed staging so the roots stay cool. They are available in sizes 2.4m (8ft) x 1.8m (6ft), 3m (10ft) x 2.4m (8ft) and 4.5m (15ft) x 2.4m (8ft), and cost £3,044, £4,614 and £5,930, respectively. Conversely, their all-cedar orchid house is designed to retain heat. Usefully, rafters have anti-drip fillets to stop condensation dripping onto foliage. Narrow-slatted staging ensures that air circulates freely. Sub- staging can be fitted to hold moisture trays. A 3.6m (12ft) x 2.4m (8ft) model, boarded to the eaves, suitable for orchids that flourish in subdued light, costs £4,098.

Above right top: This ornate greenhouse from Alitex is definitely for the specialist Above right bottom: The new Wisley 8 from Hartley Botanic has architectural appeal Left: CH Whitehouse manufactures greenhouses for the specialist

Most models are designed to be erected on a low wall