I've never had one of my own but the garden I worked in a couple of years back had a big one (about 10 x 5 m). I completely filled it with tomatoes, peppers, melons, butternut squash and various companion plants in the summer. In the winter you can grow all sorts of veg, including spuds, (and probably flowers too), overwinter Pelargoniums and other tender perennials, and in the spring start off a whole range of crops early. And that's without any heating, but in a coastal city, so v little frost anyway.
In short, get the biggest one you can afford. It will never be big enough!
I've been deliberating for about 3 months and have now chosen a rhino for durability. We've not got much room so had to go for 6x8. The overall price does mount up. Because ours is part of the garden and constantly walked past we would like to make it a feature and have decided to get it powder coated...and then there's the staging....and then OH got to lay the flags to site it on...IM SO EXCITED!
I'd thoroughly recommend getting a greenhouse and although it's not heated, I wouldn't be without ours. It's great for starting off seeds early for the coming year and for so many other things, as Steve 309 said. I dry bunches of herbs and everlasting flowers hung from the greenhouse roof and one of my dahlia tubers (recently accidentally dug up) is drying out on the staging.
I haven't grown any vegetables in it during the winter because it's quite a stride from the house when the weather is grotty but I'm going to give that a try this year.
Congratulations GG! Have you decided on the internal layout? Are you going for open ground in part, or slabbed completely?
How safe is your allotment NewBoy? As GG says the costs can mount up so I'd suggest looking for a second hand option, perhaps on eBay or freecycle, or in your local newspaper. I got mine on eBay (a couple had bought a house with a one year old Robinsons Greenhouse in the garden and didn't want it!). I think this is a good time of year (and Spring) to look for one as a lot of people seem to 'tidy up' before and after winter.
Hello tootles, think I would prefer to have it all flagged as I don't want to keep replacing the soil. But that is something we are considering at the moment because haven't got the money for flagging. I know you can site on soil but the ground is lower than the path and I would like to have a level surface from path into greenhouse. It will be used mainly for seedlings and will grow toms in the summer and winter veg - both in containers. I would like staging&shelving down one side. It will be a learning curve so please offer advice as it will be much appreciated.
It's pretty tricky to get levels right. Mine was on a gentle side slope and it took a lot of work to get it level. I went for part slab (two thirds) and open soil. It's been down for three years now and I haven't changed the soil yet, but I do dig in compost and manure in winter.
Here's the plot when we dug up the turf.
And putting the slabs down...
And the finished greenhouse...
This is how far the slabs come in on the right hand side where we have one third open ground so the greenhouse sits on the edge.
You did a good job - and your greenhouse looks nearly new! I have been looking at auction sites but they are usually dilapidated or hundreds of miles away. OH is very willing to have a go at putting the flags down but not confident. Im trying to look for easy cost- effective options and read about a perimeter concrete base today. We could lay pea shingle or bricks on sand inside. Tbh it's all about keeping the cost within our budget.
That's a great idea GG. You could keep an eye out for slabs for sale in the paper too. We gave left over ones away. Our local Recycling Centre (or tip!) sometimes has piles of odd slabs to take away too.
I love the idea of shingle. Would make a lovely sound under foot.
I think I looked on eBay for 9 months before I found the right one. New ones are amazing but soooooo expensive.
Posts
My thoughts, buy as big a one as you can afford, you can always fill it. Or two smaller ones, one to keep warm one just frost free.
go for toughened glass, secured well to the base.
Hear hear.
I've never had one of my own but the garden I worked in a couple of years back had a big one (about 10 x 5 m). I completely filled it with tomatoes, peppers, melons, butternut squash and various companion plants in the summer. In the winter you can grow all sorts of veg, including spuds, (and probably flowers too), overwinter Pelargoniums and other tender perennials, and in the spring start off a whole range of crops early. And that's without any heating, but in a coastal city, so v little frost anyway.
In short, get the biggest one you can afford. It will never be big enough!
I've been deliberating for about 3 months and have now chosen a rhino for durability. We've not got much room so had to go for 6x8. The overall price does mount up. Because ours is part of the garden and constantly walked past we would like to make it a feature and have decided to get it powder coated...and then there's the staging....and then OH got to lay the flags to site it on...IM SO EXCITED!
It'll give you plenty to do, GG - and Newboy too - and much pleasure and satisfaction
I'd thoroughly recommend getting a greenhouse and although it's not heated, I wouldn't be without ours. It's great for starting off seeds early for the coming year and for so many other things, as Steve 309 said. I dry bunches of herbs and everlasting flowers hung from the greenhouse roof and one of my dahlia tubers (recently accidentally dug up) is drying out on the staging.
I haven't grown any vegetables in it during the winter because it's quite a stride from the house when the weather is grotty but I'm going to give that a try this year.
Congratulations GG! Have you decided on the internal layout? Are you going for open ground in part, or slabbed completely?
How safe is your allotment NewBoy? As GG says the costs can mount up so I'd suggest looking for a second hand option, perhaps on eBay or freecycle, or in your local newspaper. I got mine on eBay (a couple had bought a house with a one year old Robinsons Greenhouse in the garden and didn't want it!). I think this is a good time of year (and Spring) to look for one as a lot of people seem to 'tidy up' before and after winter.
Hello tootles, think I would prefer to have it all flagged as I don't want to keep replacing the soil. But that is something we are considering at the moment because haven't got the money for flagging. I know you can site on soil but the ground is lower than the path and I would like to have a level surface from path into greenhouse. It will be used mainly for seedlings and will grow toms in the summer and winter veg - both in containers. I would like staging&shelving down one side. It will be a learning curve so please offer advice as it will be much appreciated.
It's pretty tricky to get levels right. Mine was on a gentle side slope and it took a lot of work to get it level. I went for part slab (two thirds) and open soil. It's been down for three years now and I haven't changed the soil yet, but I do dig in compost and manure in winter.
Here's the plot when we dug up the turf.
And putting the slabs down...
And the finished greenhouse...
This is how far the slabs come in on the right hand side where we have one third open ground so the greenhouse sits on the edge.
You did a good job - and your greenhouse looks nearly new! I have been looking at auction sites but they are usually dilapidated or hundreds of miles away. OH is very willing to have a go at putting the flags down but not confident. Im trying to look for easy cost- effective options and read about a perimeter concrete base today. We could lay pea shingle or bricks on sand inside. Tbh it's all about keeping the cost within our budget.
That's a great idea GG. You could keep an eye out for slabs for sale in the paper too. We gave left over ones away. Our local Recycling Centre (or tip!) sometimes has piles of odd slabs to take away too.
I love the idea of shingle. Would make a lovely sound under foot.
I think I looked on eBay for 9 months before I found the right one. New ones are amazing but soooooo expensive.