Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: andrewk2 on February 06, 2009, 03:21:47 PM
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I have just read Cyril Lafong's article ''Growing in an Alpine House'' in the January issue of The Rock Garden. Excellent, very informative, thank you very much.
His article has brought me back to the question of which greenhouse to buy and where to buy it from.
I would appreciate any information as to where I should look to find a greenhouse as practical as the one highlighted in the article.
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Andrew, if you are in the UK or Ireland, the cheapest are available from B&Q but they are small starter houses. It's almost certain your collection will grow so you should try and buy a big one. Mine is 12x8 feet and already filled.
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The mod cons such as louvres all round and automatic vents will drive the price up. It can all be done using a modified conventional greenhouse. Benches can be had from a few suppliers. I used Access for mine and they are still fine after 12 years. If you have the skill there are home-made options which can give you greater depth of plunge.
I didn't bother with louvres just take a few panes of glass out at bench level .... well all of both sides actually. Also some of the end opposite the door to maximise through air. Our winter lows are not too severe, this would be no good if you have prolonged winter freeze and want to keep frost at bay.
It'll depend on your spending power I guess - if I could justify it I'd copy Cyril and add electric fans ... or does he have them too?
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Cyril has electric fans too. I think Cyril made the point in his article that he bought a good sized conventional aluminium greenhouse and then added the ventilation (louvres and opening top vents) that he needed, and that the structure of his particular greenhouse could take.
As in all things, you get what you pay for. B&Q greenhouses are built to a price in order to retail cheaply and therefore the framing can be flimsier than that used by some manufacturers. My advice would be buy a larger model than ever you think you will need because you will certainly fill it and shop around and compare build qualities. If you do a search on the Forum you will find some pictures of the kind of alpine houses Giles Reed uses. These are probably top of the range and something to aspire to. If you are working to a limited budget then by all means buy B&Q and put up with the limitations. Having one is much better than not!
Tonyg's ventilation option is perfectly workable, just cover up the gaps in the glass with some kind of mesh to keep birds out.
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My mag must be lost in the post :(
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My mag must be lost in the post :(
Did you pay your Sub. , Mark?? ::) :o
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One of my houses is a B&Q cheapie with no glass at all in the gable end. I made wooden frames and covered them with 'wind break' mesh. I have similar in the door of the house.
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The thing to do is not to compromise. I bought the largest and most robust I could fit into my garden, and afford: a Robinson. Not big (10' 8" x 8' 6"), but it doesn't have those useless spring clip things to hold the glass in, so it is storm proof.
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The thing to do is not to compromise. I bought the largest and most robust I could fit into my garden, and afford: a Robinson. Not big (10' 8" x 8' 6"), but it doesn't have those useless spring clip things to hold the glass in, so it is storm proof.
Mine has ended up in a crumpled heap at the end of the garden several times. Buy one that is easy to repair is my motto. Leaving panes of glass out here just gives them lift and they fly easier. I have the useless spring clips but put loads of extra ones on. I also tie my frames down.
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Thank you all, a few intersting comments to keep in mind. I think I'll talk to the local garden centre, when the weather gets warmer.
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Mine has ended up in a crumpled heap at the end of the garden several times. Buy one that is easy to repair is my motto. Leaving panes of glass out here just gives them lift and they fly easier. I have the useless spring clips but put loads of extra ones on. I also tie my frames down.
Crumpled heap! ... Repair :o :o :o? You are a better man than I am Gungadin!
Seriously though, I did worry about mine blowing away. But after a very bad experience with baked crocus in March I decided that I'd risk it. The site is quite sheltered from the wind which must help a lot but I leave doors open most of the time and I reckon with glass out all the way round I'm giving the wind a way out as well as a way in - thats the theory anyway! It's stood up to everything in the last 12 years, even a gale that removed a hinged roof light.
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my house sits on top of the first hill in from the coast about fifteen miles away.We can see Southport from the garden. The south westerlies roar in and dump there rain. I have twice had one greenhouse blow completely down. I have put extra clips on all the glazing and have ropes with bricks tied on the ends to hold the frames down. I am not exagerating.
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I think I'll stick to gardening down here where its flat ;)
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I sympathise, Tony, we have known a few folk whose glasshouses have been flattened where they stood or ripped up and dumped by the wind......just very glad not to have had that problem here...... fingers crossed and all that... do hope I have not tempted fate by that statement :P :-\
Worst we've had is broken panes, and once a framework we had over a high plunge area, made from bits of an old glasshouse, did get mangled by the wind and sections plus glass flew quite a distance.... but managed to miss next door' neighbour's car!
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andrewk2
Check out the www.TwoWests&Elliot site for benches. I used them for many years before moving to Derbyshire.
Alan
edit by M: the link given above didn't work, thanks to Diane for this one: http://www.twowests.co.uk/
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Check out the www.Two Wests & Elliot site for benches. I used them for many years before moving to Derbyshire. Alan
I endorse Alan's recommendation of Two Wests. That link has gone pear shaped, try this http://www.twowests.co.uk/ (http://www.twowests.co.uk/)
I have two greenhouses full of their aluminium plunge beds/benches plus one outside as a covered frame, and they are excellent quality
I'm trying to find a decent picture to show the staging (what was that about catalogueing pictures :'( ::) )
this is as good as I can find
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I would also recommend Two Wests, I've always had excellent & rapid service. I've had one of their plunge stagings in use for 6-7 years and it's holding up well and was easy to put together. Here's another picture to help you see the layout.
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We just put up our first 'alpine house' - i.e. a greenhouse with lots of vents.
We opted for a Rhino (10' x 8') on the grounds that buying a cheaper version with add ons seemed to come to almost the same price.
The glazing is fixed by continuous plastic profiles which provide a very robust fixing indeed and being placed in a spot which is unlikely to get gale force winds it seems to me to be sufficiently 'solid' to withstand almost anything.
Upper and lower plunges were made by our own company, but are probably available at reasonable cost from any competent 'tin-basher' local to you, and to a bespoke design.
I was sure that there would be ample space. WRONG! :o
It is already fairly well filled and there are more plants we would wish to house.
We have also added a fan and are just awaiting the sparky to connect it all up.
On the brighter side, as Cliff the Bookeroo pointed out, in an initial burst of enthusiasm the first thing you do with a new greenhouse is to move EVERYTHING into it - then you start to take out all those that didn't really need it. :P
It is hugely gratifying though to see flowers this early and in good condition - but such a lot to learn. ???
Hope you find what you want,
John
Edit by M: John, your pix were HUGE, have reduced them so we can see 'em better! 8)
click the pix to enlarge.....
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I would NOT buy a greenhouse from Two Wests
The first thing that I look for on a web site like this is the delivery charge.
£4.99 except for - and a list of postcodes that cover the whole of the northern part of Scotland. From previous experience I would expect to incur a delivery charge of over £100 for my IV postcode even though I live less than a mile from the main Aberdeen/Inverness road
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Alas David, I'm sure Two Wests are not the only company that would turn the costs of delivery into a disincentive to buy. Despite living in the English Midlands these days I still tend to note the number of mail order companies who have the blanket Highlands & Islands caveat. When my brother and his family lived on Islay some of the delivery charges were eye watering in the extreme. They still make good staging though, and to the size you want.
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My alpine house is a selfmade one and build with stainless steel and very important, acrylate glass.
Acrylate glass let pass the ultra violet and comparing with glass it gives some additional daylight.
The results are more compact plants and more intensive colour of the flowers.
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I would NOT buy a greenhouse from Two Wests. The first thing that I look for on a web site like this is the delivery charge. £4.99 except for - and a list of postcodes that cover the whole of the northern part of Scotland.
I think we were recommending Two Wests for staging, not for buying a greenhouse. Yes, delivery charges do vary enormously between companies, as well as where you live.
I bought my most recent greenhouse (an Elite Belmont) from www.greenhousesdirect.co.uk (http://www.greenhousesdirect.co.uk) as they have lots of choice (including Johnny D's extra strong Rhino). Reading all the postings, we all have different needs - and pockets - and time - shop around and make your choices (but do take a look at Two Wests for staging).
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I think the main difference between a greenhouse and an alpine house is that the former is usually positioned East - West, whereas the latter North - South.
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Ger do you mean acrylic glass?
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"I think the main difference between a greenhouse and an alpine house is that the former is usually positioned East - West, whereas the latter North - South."
Assumimg of course 1) you have enough flat space in the garden in a suitable place which won't get you shot for blocking the view, 2) that flat space you have found is oriented the right way and 3) you built it as an Alpine house in the first place! Just personal experience
........plus two questions. 1) how do I do the clever thing of putting a quote from a previous post in a little blue box?...............and how do I attach an emoticon to the end of the message, I use dto be able to do this but now seem totally incapable!
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".plus two questions. 1) how do I do the clever thing of putting a quote from a previous post in a little blue box
Inserting a quote is done by clicking "quote" on the post you wish to quote. You can then delete any part within the quote. The quote is inserted where you have left the curser.
"and how do I attach an emoticon to the end of the message, I use dto be able to do this but now seem totally incapable!
Adding an emoticon is as simple as clicking the desired yellow face above the text window, or if Maggi has used one of her many exotic pets (emoticons), highlight, copy and paste.
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Thanks Anthony, put it down to early Sunday morning and an engineer's tendency to never read the instructions ???
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Yes mark, it's acrylic glass.
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I thought acrylic was plastic, not glass?
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I thought acrylic was plastic, not glass?
I believe that the words used are a shorthand for acrylic glazing material.
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Mark's question and the subsequent answer indicates the confusion. Acrylic does not stand up to the elements. Double glazing firms have discovered it is cheaper, in the long run, to fit conservatories with glass rather than acrylic because the latter is not lasting the 10 year guarantee period and is having to be replaced free of charge.