With so many of us working from home and keen to grow our own, there could hardly be a better time to consider buying a greenhouse. Some of us want a place to sow seeds, take cuttings and propagate plants, always ending up with more than we need. Overwintering tender plants, protecting delicate treasures and producing unseasonal fruits and vegetables are also items high on the list. Best of all, however, a greenhouse is somewhere to be when there’s a chill in the air, a place to potter about in, deadheading the pelargoniums, checking for signs of life in pots of bulbs. Or sitting down (yes, every greenhouse should have a seat), browsing a seed catalogue and listening to the radio, but mostly simply gazing out into the garden and dreaming of more clement times.
A greenhouse cannot be an impulse buy and there are some important things to consider before making your final choice.
Siting the greenhouse
Maximising light levels inside your greenhouse is important, so try to site it away from the shade of buildings and trees. When deciding about the position, remember that the sun moves and a place that is sunny in July may be overshadowed by nearby buildings and trees in the winter.
If possible, position the greenhouse so that its ridge runs north to south. That way, it will receive the best light in the morning and in the evening, which is when it is most needed, and will escape the full midday heat in high summer.
Materials
Denne historien er fra April 29, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 29, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
