I’ve got a new greenhouse on the way – it should be arriving on Monday next. Since I’ve already got a decent greenhouse, a solar shed and a polytunnel this may seem a bit over the top but I have my reasons.
Eden Burford Greenhouse – this is actually an 8×6
Before we moved here, I actually had three greenhouses. A 10 x 8, a 6 x 8 and a 10 x 5 lean-to. So I’ve been running with a bit less greenhouse space than I had before. Since the weather here is challenging – albeit wet and windy, rather than freezing – space where you can work in shelter is really useful.
I’m not forgetting my fantastic polytunnel, but I use that differently to the greenhouses. It’s also quite a distance from house – not a fun run when the rain is pelting down or, worse still, flying horizontally.
I’ve got a large slabbed base already where my first Vitavia greenhouse stood, until the storm turned it into a surreal sculpture of twisted metal and broken glass. The second is in a more sheltered spot. There’s plenty of room, about 16 x 10 ft on the base, so I could get quite a large greenhouse there if I wanted.
How Large a Greenhouse to Get
The first question has to be how large a greenhouse to get. Normally I would say to always go for as large as you can but, keeping in mind what I already have, that would be overkill. Not to mention beyond my purse.
I’m also thinking I may keep this greenhouse frost-free and the bigger the volume the more it costs to heat. After mulling it over, I’ve decided a 10 ft long by 6 ft wide will serve my needs. It will also leave room on the pad for some coldframes and for setting out plants when hardening them off.
Which greenhouse to get?
That’s where it gets harder. I know it has to be tough, tougher than the Vitavia which is a good greenhouse but not one designed for the wind speeds we get too frequently . It must have toughened safety glass.
If my impulsive grandson were to run into it, a pane could break but because of the way tempered glass breaks, be unlikely to cut him. I’d never forgive myself if he was badly hurt here. I still remember running into a window when I was young and smashing through it. Not the accident so much as the look of terror on my father’s face. I was about 7, an age when fathers are not beings who should ever be scared, even of monsters.
The rigidity of long panes as against stacked horticultural glass adds to the structural strength somewhat. Another factor in their favour.
Cost
It’s simple enough, I’ve got some spare cash but not a huge pile to play with. You can easily spend a couple of thousand on a greenhouse – if you’ve got it, that is!
I decided to get some advice and spoke with a chap at Gardensite who, after I’d explained our situation, suggested an Eden Burford would be the best choice. One point he highlighted is the problem of winds blowing open the door and the wind getting in. That’s a killer for a greenhouse in a storm. The Eden has a no-step lockable door that won’t blow open.
In some ways I think I would have preferred bar-capping to hold the glass but W clips are very effective and I’ve a load of spare ones so I can double up to really secure the glass in a storm.
My weekend job – when we should have a dry Sunday at least – is to clear the remaining pallets sitting on the base and weed between the slabs. Fingers crossed!
we bought our first aluminium greenhouse 30 years ago 20×10 and then bought another greenhouse 20×10 about two years after when the old wooden one fell down it took quite a time to erect to greenhouse it was a head scratching time but we finally got there the next one wasn’t quite as bad as we learn lessons from putting up the first one
as you previously said the wind is a problem so the greenhouse needs to be robust to stand up to windy conditions although we get some strong winds there is quite a high fence that stops most of the winds our long poly tunnel is used for a log store now but we still have 20ft tunnel that I wouldn’t be without
Eden greenhouses are new to me although you have sent a link that’s worth looking at also toughened glass good choice are you putting staging in the greenhouse?
anyway Eden seems a good brand so good luck with it
I got free integral staging for one side and am considering what to do with the other. I might change the internal layout of my Vitavia and put the staging from there into the Eden.
I want to check how the Eden performs first, especially with regards to rain.
You’ve got quite a set up there, Rowland!
at nearly 1200 quid for a green 6X10 with the extras, im thinking not this year will i change my home built potting shed/greenhouse
Not for me, Terry – £742.00 including staging (on sale) from Gardensite
do you intend to put a fix bench to your greenhouse or one you can take out for growing say tomatoes
we usually start of with bedding plants [plugs] then remove the staging from one greenhouse for our tomatoes and cucumbers
one thing I will say we never have enough space we always seem to fill all the greenhouses and the tunnel in the growing season
and I assume your the same investing in a new greenhouse
PS. looked at the Eden site most impressed
I’ve an integral bench on one side, not sure if it is easily removed or not. Things will become clearer when it’s up.
Eden are a great product especially with the zero threshold concept being able to wheel a barrow straight into the green house.
I think you will find that with the long length safety glass you will get bar capping, the horticultural glass option has w clips.
That would be nice!
one of the main problems we have in our greenhouse is UV-rays or hot sun burning the plants to overcome this we bought shade netting I fixed shade netting on the inside of one greenhouse and the other I put the shading on the outside by using the shading greatly reduced the hot sun getting in the greenhouse
the inside shading took a bit longer to install than the outside one and the outside shading was a bit of a pain to put on because it tended to catch on the glazing clips and being quite a large greenhouse more time consuming but it was worth the effort because without any shading we would have had real problems with plants we had no problems with either our tomatoes or cucumbers we also found using shade netting was better than liquid shading because liquid shading took time to spray or brush on and more time to clean it of we also put the same shading on the poly tunnel no probs
so what your shading plan for the new greenhouse John also greenhouse ventilation have you found that to be a problem?
I used shading paint last summer which didn’t take long to apply or clean off. It was effective. I found leaving the doors open on the polytunnel was enough most of the time but when the temperature soared I used a mist spray which dropped it down in short order.
Ventilation hasn’t been a problem with the Vitavia – 4 opening lights, a louvre and double doors. Fingers crossed the Eden will be OK.