Greenhouse, How to Choose?
Hartley Botanic is one of England’s oldest and most respected greenhouse manufacturers, with an increasingly large following in the US & Canada. The business is known for the beauty, enduring strength and quality of its handmade structures. With decades of knowledge and experience, Hartley Botanic shares factors to consider when purchasing a glasshouse.
Size and style
The right choice of greenhouse can produce a major enhancement for both your garden and your property overall. The first consideration has to be size, and here’s the golden rule: work out what size you think you will need… and then double it.
This isn’t as excessive as you might think. Once you experience how much a greenhouse can do, you will crave more space than you might initially imagine.
Aesthetically you will obviously want your greenhouse to sit well in your garden and its surroundings. There are many styles to choose from, so it’s worth taking time to explore all the options before committing.
Selecting a pleasing colour for your greenhouse’s framework is clearly important. Colour can either help the greenhouse stand out or blend in to its surroundings, or you may want to select a colour that matches with buildings nearby.
Essential features
There’s an important balance to strike between the style and ambience of your greenhouse and its practical function as a space for growing plants.
Mains water and electricity are not absolutely essential, but life in your greenhouse will be far easier with these utilities laid on. Effective ventilation will not only help plants to grow but allow air to circulate with ease for those inside. Conditions within a greenhouse change remarkably quickly. A few moments of sun can boost temperatures rapidly, even on a cold winter’s day. This can stress your plants, so adequate vents should be easily opened and closed to adjust to ambient conditions.
Locating and installing
Once you’ve decided on the style of your greenhouse, you need to consider its ideal orientation in the garden. Factors such as adequate light throughout the day – even in the darker months – can have a huge effect on the success of what happens inside.
Align the building so that its longest sides face east and west; this way it will receive direct sun when it is most in need, during morning and evening, while the excesses of the midday sun will be minimized. Sheltered spots are best, so long as light is not too restricted. Avoid low-lying or excessively shaded areas as these can be frost-prone, and put plants at risk. Finally, if you plan to include growing beds, make sure the soil is fertile and easy to work.
Planning permission and installation
You may need to obtain planning consent prior to installing a greenhouse. It’s worth contacting your local planning authority at an early stage, so you get a clear understanding of what is – and isn’t – permissible.
A good manufacturer will be able to provide professional quality drawings to help support your planning application. In many cases they will offer installation services too. Be sure to establish that installers are qualified, and that service provision such as electricity and water will be performed and certified to the current building regulations and standards. This will also apply if you’re considering installing a multifuel or log-burning stove inside your greenhouse.
Ultimately, a greenhouse can bring a whole host of welcome benefits to life. Adding value to your property, enhancing your garden, allowing marvellous new growing possibilities, providing a beautiful space that’s a haven of peace and tranquility – perhaps it’s time to let the greenhouse idea take root.
Every Hartley Botanic Glasshouse is handmade to order, so for customers looking for structures designed perfectly to suit personal interests, lifestyles and tastes, the possibilities really are endless. Customers interested in purchasing a Hartley Botanic Glasshouse visit: www.hartley-botanic.com or call 781-933-1993 for more information.
