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A 21st Century Greenhouse

2nd August 2021

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Taking on an old property does not come without challenges but the restoration process provides the opportunity to put your own stamp on things. After several years of tastefully restoring a period home it was only a matter of time before the garden could be given some attention. Last but not least, they say.

A spacious plot with extensive views across the surrounding countryside what better place to relax and escape the stresses and strains of everyday life. And with such a good wall still intact from a previous greenhouse, long since gone, the stage was set for a new one.

Time spent exploring the cultivar website and a trip to the workshop in Ruabon, North Wales, was confirmation enough of the style and quality of build required in keeping with the works already completed to the house. First the area was cleared, before a new dwarf wall was constructed to cultivar’s specification with restored bricks to give the greenhouse both height and stature. Raised beds, incorporated within the footprint of the greenhouse provide facility for planting in the ground and a quarry tile floor provides natural drainage after watering or damping down the greenhouse in the warmer summer months.

A long South facing wall will absorb heat during the day, which will be retained overnight, providing a more even growing temperature than a standard glass to ground greenhouse. Plants that would not normally survive a British winter can be trained up the walls offering a range of opportunities to grow plants from further afield, perhaps even tropical climes. Electricity could be brought into the greenhouse, the wall providing as good a place as any to mount any electric socket, it’s best to choose the type that are suitable for outdoor use. There is plenty of space for a potting bench and tall shelves to bring on young plants before being transferred to the raised beds both in and outside the greenhouse. Some of the wall has been left free and over time may be used to train a fruit tree.

On a greenhouse this size a larger than normal gutter is used against the abutting wall to help carry water away from the greenhouse. You can see how this is being used to harvest water with a waterbutt neatly placed against the wall at the door end. The hinged door opens out, so as not to impede on the precious internal space, and this folds back 180 degrees so can be held open neatly on warm summer days.