A glass greenhouse is a highlight in the garden and offers hobby gardeners numerous options for use. But there are a few things to consider before you buy.
First of all, a free-standing greenhouse in your own garden clearly promises a practical benefit. Here, hobby gardeners can cultivate seeds, harvest fruit and vegetables, overwinter sensitive potted plants or store garden tools. But it doesn't have to stay that way. In an aesthetically sophisticated design, a glass greenhouse can also be a visual highlight in the garden.
Whether it should be modern or vintage, compact or expansive: Just as trying on clothes when buying clothes is essential in order to find the ideal fit, when buying a greenhouse it is important to have your wishes and expectations in mind beforehand and to make aware of the possibilities in order to finally be able to select the tailor-made model. The following points should be considered when buying a greenhouse:
Variable: The size
The starting point for all further decisions are two fundamental questions:
- What will the greenhouse be used for?
- How much space is available in the garden?
The Bio-Top model from Hoklartherm, for example, shows that even a small greenhouse can be of great use. In three different widths from 2.15 to 3.10 meters and individual lengths up to 9.10 meters, it can also grow up to 27 square meters.
If you only want to grow a few sweet vegetables and a few summer flowers, you can be satisfied with a small greenhouse of 3 to 8 square meters. It takes 10 to 12 square meters to provide a family of four with two cucumber, tomato and pepper plants and a few lettuce plants. Potted plants can then easily find sheltered winter quarters on this surface area after the harvest season.
If you want to grow some ornamental plants in your greenhouse in addition to the vegetables, you should choose a floor space of 15 to 18 square meters, advise the experts at the greenhouse manufacturerHoklartherm. With a standing wall height (=height of the outer walls) of at least 1.71 and, depending on the model, up to 1.84 meters in the Bio-Top series, comfortable and safe working is guaranteed - even in a small greenhouse. And large plants also have enough air above under the roof.
Loading: The Construction
A greenhouse made of thick-walled, powder-coated aluminum profiles, as installed by the manufacturer Hoklartherm, is solid and durable. They have the advantage that their surface proves to be permanently corrosion-free, defies the most varied of weather conditions over the long term and therefore requires little maintenance.
The prerequisites for enabling sufficient ventilation should already be created in the architecture of the greenhouse: In order to be able to prevent overheating and plant rot, there must be enough large-format, openable roof or side windows - if possible opposite ones - in the basic construction be.
A divisible entrance door, the so-called horse stable door, also ensures an optimal supply of fresh air. Since only the upper wing has to be opened, the closed lower part of the door ensures that pests such as snails, but also pets such as dogs and cats, cannot get into the greenhouse.
Clothing: the glazing
There is no question: Real glass not only meets the highest aesthetic standards, it also proves to be extremely stable and durable. The roof is also particularly resistant with ISO safety glass - definitely recommended in the vicinity of tall trees.
Alternatively, greenhouses can be glazed with stable, UV-resistant ISO twin-wall sheets made of plastic - a more cost-effective, practical but also quite convincing option. If you are looking for a sensible compromise between aesthetics and price awareness, you can choose mixed glazing: multiple-pane insulating glass (ISO glass) in the wall area and twin-wall panels for the roof. Doors and windows with real glass also provide good insights and views. So a glass greenhouse does not have to remain a dream even with a smaller budget.
Formative: the style
Whether simple and modern, romantically playful or with English charm - the look of the greenhouse should also match the style of the garden, because after all it will be a main part of it. The style of a single type of greenhouse can be significantly varied with a few design tools. Takingthe Bio-Top model from Hoklartherm, for example, comes in its original form with high quality but no frills, with fir-green profiles and a glazing grid of one meter. Its appearance can be individualized by selecting a desired RAL color for the coating of the profiles, for example to match the color of the windows in the house.
The greenhouse gets its very own visual touch thanks to a narrower glazing grid of just 0.50 metres, which is particularly effective in combination with its compact size. And finally, Victorian-style cast moldings on the roof ridge give the greenhouse an old English character. And they have the handy side effect of preventing stubborn dirt from bird droppings.
Basic: The Foundation
The type of foundation can also affect the appearance of a greenhouse. The foundation is simple, functional and safe on an aluminum foundation frame that is embedded in the ground. Depending on the size and weight - especially when glazing with insulating glass - an additional concrete foundation is required.
Greenhouses can also be built on a base made of natural stone or brick. If the same stone is used as for the house or the garden paths, this creates a particularly harmonious connection. A wall base as a foundation is definitely recommended for garden owners who prefer the old English character when it comes to the style of their glass greenhouse.
Supplementary: The accessories
If you want to use your greenhouse optimally, you have to equip it with the right accessories. All sorts of things are possible, but not everything is absolutely necessary right away. However, effective shading is essential to prevent the sun's rays from causing serious damage to the plants, especially in the hotter months of the year. Conveniently operated shading roller blinds that can be individually regulated are best suited. This protects individual areas of the greenhouse from too much sunlight, while others can remain in full sunlight. Automatic window openers are also practical for regulating the climate.
The other equipment elements that make sense depend on how and at what time of year the greenhouse is used. For example, if you want to continue growing vegetables in winter or if exotic plants are to be housed in a glass house, a frost guard or heater will guarantee pleasant temperatures.Lights may be required for early seed attraction. And even in the smallest greenhouse, the usable space can be optimally exploited if it is equipped with suitable plant tables, hanging shelves or shelves.
Deliberative: The Pricing
The example of the wide range of possible accessories makes it clear that extensive equipment can quickly drive up the price of a greenhouse. If only a limited budget is available for the purchase, it is therefore important first of all to buy a greenhouse made of high-quality materials - and it is better to plan it one size smaller, advise the experts at Hoklartherm. Above all, the width should be carefully considered, because in most cases the length of a greenhouse can be extended later.
The various glazing options with ISO safety glass, ISO glass, ISO twin wall panels or a combination of these also make a difference. Here it must be honestly weighed up which aesthetic demands the greenhouse should meet.
Building: The Montage
And how does the new greenhouse end up in the garden? Manufacturers such as Hoklartherm supply their customers with completely prefabricated kits. If you have some manual skills and technical understanding, you can build the new piece of jewelry yourself with the help of detailed, illustrated assembly instructions. Anyone who does not necessarily have the confidence to do this or simply does not have the necessary time for it can also entrust the assembly to experienced specialists who will set up the greenhouse professionally and on time, even in winter. Enjoyment of the new highlight of the garden is guaranteed from the very first moment.