Home Greenhouse Design and Planning
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Numerous budding gardeners would love to have their own greenhouse for the home. Nevertheless, once you have decided to put one in your garden, you will be presented with various options in regard to styles, designs, prices and sizes and whether you should buy a pre made kit or build your own from scratch. Consequently, it is good advice to forward plan and decide precisely what you intend using the greenhouse for and ultimately, the sort of plants you plan to grow.
Ready made greenhouses are readily available in umpteen different styles, designs, sizes and prices as well as several materials such as glass, plastic, polycarbonates, partial wood or aluminum. Constructing your own will mean dealing with these and some additional issues.
As far as greenhouse building is concerned, the actual location of the structure in your garden is an important consideration. Plants need abundant sunlight and to that end, you need a site that at least gets sun for part of the day. This will depend upon where you live, what kind of trees are around your house and other factors.
The amount of sunshine per day is another crucial element in planning any greenhouse and is dependent upon where in the world you live. More Northerly latitudes will get longer hours of summer sunshine, but a lot less in the winter. Artificial lighting and heating systems can compensate to a certain degree.
Away from the hours of light, the quantity of heat and moisture is heavily affected by climate. Even in northern latitudes, there are considerable differences. Summers in some areas are rather dry, implying a greater need for greenhouse irrigation whereas other locations, by contrast, are a lot more moist meaning that greenhouse water requirements will be less.
You will have to look at what kind of foundation to build or install. This will range from none at all through to gravel, wood, concrete or brick. You should take into account whether you plan to cover the floor with lino, carpeting or tile. Some floor heating systems can work within these, for example. They also affect how much time and effort in cleaning it you might need to invest.
You need to evaluate all those in relation to the projected size and positioning of your planned greenhouse, constrained by the choices available on your property. For instance, there may be trees close to one side of the area although they are farther away on the other side. The area that you have in mind maybe flat or it could be on a slope, in which case, it will require excavation to provide a level surface. Weather conditions in the location should also be taken into account.
Of course, the average wind and rain over the whole of your property will remain constant but the exact amount at the projected site for your greenhouse may change depending if there are any walls or trees that could block the wind or shield it from the rain.
How much rain falls on and around the greenhouse is significant since it will dictate the type of drainage system that will need to be put in place. Wind speed and direction need to be considered because any through draft caused when the door is opened could cause major damage to the greenhouse itself. Therefore, the opening direction of both windows and doors combined with location are crucial aspects for the wellbeing and stability of the whole structure.
When constructing your own or installing a ready made greenhouse, there is no need to transform yourself into an architect although it will pay dividends to think like one. Without any forward planning, constructing a greenhouse can lead to wasted time and a lot of frustration, let alone the extra cost. Getting it right from the outset will give you a secure and comfortable environment in which to plant, pot and grow whatever your heart desires.
