Find Your Ideal Greenhouse

by: Charlene Rennick

Would you like to grow healthier plants, extend your growing season and have more control over your growing environment?

Building a greenhouse is an opportunity to:

expand your garden into the cultivation of organic, pesticide-free vegetables and small fruit.
explore your interest in alternative energy sources and the conservation of our natural resources
extend your inventory of nursery horticulture
eat healthy, fresh food

If you are a beginner, the range of materials and various greenhouse construction methods may seem overwhelming. We have tried to streamline this puzzle to make choosing the greenhouse best suited to your gardening style as easy as possible.

Before you decide on a model of greenhouse, you need to select the plants you want to grow in it and how much spare money and time you have to devote. Hobby greenhouses come in almost any shape, size and for most locations. Any greenhouse design can be customized to fit the dwelling space you have available for flora and fauna.

The first key is recognizing what style of gardener you are. This will help you determine what you need in a greenhouse so that you are not paying for unnecessary features and also get something that really works for you.

The 5 Gardening Styles

Urban Gardener
You enjoy gardening and have a small space that you can devote to a gardening structure. This may be indoors, on a patio, an outside wall or a small space in your backyard. You are interested in growing fresh herbs and small vegetables, potted plants, starting seedlings and hardening off plants. You may be just getting started and want something simple and cost effective.

I recommend these greenhouses for an Urban Gardener:
Aerogarden
Flowerhouse - Clear PlantHouse
Juliana - Mini lean-to Model 2 Greenhouse Kit

Greenhouses in Rome?

The Roman emperor Tiberius ate a cucumber-like vegetable daily. Cucumbers were planted in wheeled carts which were put in the sun daily, then taken inside to keep them warm at night. The cucumbers were stored under frames or in cucumber houses glazed with either oiled cloth known as "specularia" or with sheets of mica. - Wikipedia

We've come a long way baby! Modern solutions available at …

Backyard Gardener
You love spending time in the garden and around your plants. You have the space for a larger structure but do not want anything permanent. You want something large enough to handle a variety of plants that can also be expanded as your needs grow. You would prefer a versatile model suitable for either soil or hydroponic systems.

I recommend this greenhouse for the Backyard Gardener:
Flowerhouse - FarmHouse Greenhouse

Avid Hobbyist
You thrive when your plants do. You spend a lot of time gardening and would love to garden all year. You love to cook with your produce, collect plants, have a green thumb and are looking for a more permanent, durable structure.

I recommend these greenhouses for the Avid Hobbyist:
Poly-Tex-Enthusiast Special Edition
Rion Professional Series (also called Rion Hobby)
Rion Prestige
Rion Giant

Traditionalist
You love the traditional look and feel of a glass greenhouse. You would like a place where you can garden and spend leisure time. Your greenhouse would ideally be the focal point of your landscape.

I recommend this greenhouse for the Traditionalist:
BC Greenhouses - Traditional Glass Series Patricia Greenhouse

Educator
You are an educator interested in introducing a greenhouse into your curriculum plan. You think intend to use this opportunity to teach students about horticulture, plant science, the environment and sustainable living. You may need to customize the greenhouse to suit your particular setting. I recommend that you contact a knowledgeable source, such as AllGreenhouses.com to discuss exactly what you need.

Whether you are an urban gardener, a backyard gardener with a little more space, an avid hobbyist or a traditionalist, getting started is much easier than you may think.

You can buy a good quality greenhouse online where kits and portable models are available in a variety of price ranges. Buying online can save you time and money and best of all, the greenhouse is delivered right to your door. AllGreenhouses.com makes a greenhouse for any level of gardening expertise, degree of commitment and carries the top manufacturers in the world fully covered by manufacturer’s warranty.

AllGreenhouses.com can help you:

make a window planter into a year-round herb garden
get a small free-standing growing shelf for your porch or apartment
turn a balcony into a greenhouse
create a private produce section on a rooftop
build a lean-to style greenhouses against an outdoor shed, deck or garage
showcase your backyard with a fully glassed-in traditional structure

(Buy now and you receive FREE shipping and no sales tax on almost everything)

To help you navigate the choices available, we have sorted the top greenhouses according to their benefits and how they may fit with your gardening style and need.

Urban Gardener
Available space	Set-up and Construction Material	Ideal Greenhouse and Plants Suited for it		Pros and cons
Very small; indoor window ledge or floor area inside an apartment	Low maintenance and restricted to a few basic tools, if any. Can be moved easily; light-weight	Covered grow rack or aerogarden Herbs, seedlings, cherry tomatoes, small flowering flora.	Aerogarden $149 - $169	Pros: Great for renters Low maintenance Good introduction to alternative indoor gardening methods. Cons: Limited to a few plants at a time.
Limited space: apartment balcony or patio deck	Low maintenance and restricted to a few basic tools Can be easily re-located	Smaller portable or lean-to style add-on Seedlings, tropical plants, herbs, lettuce, Small flowering flora.	Flowerhouse - Clear PlantHouse $159 Savings: $70.00 (31%) Juliana - Mini lean-to Model 2 Greenhouse Kit $308 Savings: $121.90 (28%)	Pros: Can be assembled by one person Simple Cons: No ventilation

Keen backyard gardener who needs flexibility
Available space	Set-up	Ideal Greenhouse and Plants Suited for it		Pros and cons
Back yard space	Can be taken down and re-located Requires some do-it-yourself, basic assembly-type knowledge	Portable flowerhouse Can be used for year-round growth Suitable for hydroponic systems	Flowerhouse - FarmHouse Greenhouse $284 Savings: $81.00 (22%)	Pros: Hydroponic system uses less water and electricity. Does not require a level surface. Cons: Requires an outdoor space Not suitable for harsh climate
Avid gardener looking for more permanent solution
Available space	Set-up	Ideal Greenhouse and Plants Suited for it		Pros and cons
Backyard space: big enough for an attractive, barn-style greenhouse	Intermediate assembly; in-depth knowledge of materials required Not suitable for take-down and re-assembly	Poly-Tex-Enthusiast Special Edition PCGreenhouse Kit Permanent structure; suitable for a chef, plant collector, devoted hobbyist	Poly-Tex-Enthusiast Special Edition $769 Savings: $130.00 (14%)	Pros: Comes with a base and 3 vents Cons: Single layer of polycarbonate pane not suitable to winter the plants
Backyard space; big enough for a permanent durable greenhouse	Not suitable to take-down or re-location. Requires planning and construction knowledge	Rion Professional series polycarbonate greenhouse Suitable for hot and cold climate, comes with base kit Wide variety of nursery options	Rion Professional Series (also called Rion Hobby) $1693-$3500 (varies with size)	Pros: 20 year warranty UV protected PVC resin frame Cons: Requires larger available backyard space.
Big backyard; flat space , access electrical power and water	Requires full assembly, 8 feet tall, uses solar heating and ventilation	Rion Prestige and Rion Giant polycarbonate greenhouse Suitable for taller plants, full head room and night-time gardening.	Rion Prestige Rion Giant $2399 - $6059 (varies with size)	Pros: Avoids hot and cold spots created by glass Cons: More expensive, but is a permanent strucuture
Traditionalist (interested in creating attractive focal point)
Available space	Set-up	Ideal Greenhouse and Plants Suited for it		Pros and cons
Big backyard; flat space, access to electrical power and water	May require poured concrete pad and zoning permit. Solid knowledge of construction.	Glass-style, durable, traditional greenhouse	BC Greenhouses - Traditional Glass Series Patricia Greenhouse $5085 Savings: $850.00 (14%)	Pros: Does not yellow with age, Cons: Does not diffuse light. Glass breaks; may be less safe for children or pets
Educator
For your school classroom or outdoor location, call AllGreenhouses.com to discuss your specific needs. Extending the growing season, class experiments, science, horticulture and alternative energy sources can be explored using greenhouse technology. Custom orders are appreciated. Click to visit AllGreenhouses.com now.

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