New Rock Garden and Greenhouse - Ardivachar

[Maggi Young]

I was looking back through the thread to see if you'd said what size the alpine house is - don't see it - can you let us know - I'm guessing "big" but dimensions would be interesting.

[Chris Johnson]

I was looking back through the thread to see if you'd said what size the alpine house is - don't see it - can you let us know - I'm guessing "big" but dimensions would be interesting.

In round figures, it's 6 x 3 metres, Maggi. The manufacturers refer to it as the Victorian Gallery Glasshouse. Precise details are here: http://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk/product/victorian-gallery-glasshouses

The height may make it look larger.

Edit: I note they are using an earlier model in the image. There are now 12 opening lights.

[Maggi Young]

Ooh, yes, that's big.    VERY nice!

[johnw]

I hope you don't experience the miserable fogs they get farther north.

Not at all Chris that's why all the Scots came here.  In Halifax we only get 112 days of fog per year.

johnw

[ArnoldT]

Chris:

I had louvered windows installed below bench level to get a good air flow.  As the warm rises and leaves the greenhouse the cooler air is drawn in through the area under the benches.

Couple of issues with that.

It's frantically difficult to crawl under the benches to open and close the windows on the few days were it warms during the day and cools at night.  Don't want to heat the entire outdoors here.  I think I may have found loops that can be installed to replace the handles.  It will accept a long pole like merchants use to open and close  their awnings.


I use a shade clothe made of aluminized plastic.  It is available in different degrees of shade.  It's draped over the front of the lean to and hangs down over the front south facing side.

[Chris Johnson]

Interesting comment, Arnold.

The few alpine houses I've seen are lourvred which presumably give a more controlled airflow, but considering the amount of 'stuff' under the staging, access would be trying. A nice idea though.

External shading is a useful protection in a benign environment but here it would soon be on its way to Greenland 

[Roma]

My husband installed a couple of louvres in my greenhouse the wrong way round so they can be opened from outside.

[Maggi Young]

My husband installed a couple of louvres in my greenhouse the wrong way round so they can be opened from outside.

      BRILLIANT IDEA!

       
 
 

[Chris Johnson]

My husband installed a couple of louvres in my greenhouse the wrong way round so they can be opened from outside.

Great lateral thinking but wouldn't that let all the rain in?

[Maggi Young]

Great lateral thinking but wouldn't that let all the rain in?

Not if you turn them upside down ........

[Martinr]

Then the glass falls out

[Maggi Young]

Then the glass falls out

 Gaffer tape, Martin, gaffer tape.

[Chris Johnson]

Upside-down louvres held together with gaffer tape - now why didn't I think of that 

[Maggi Young]

Upside-down louvres held together with gaffer tape - now why didn't I think of that 

 Duuno - perhaps you're not a gaffer tape type of person..........

[ashley]

Duuno - perhaps you're not a gaffer tape type of person..........

   
Reminds me of working in a research lab where all the key equipment was custom-designed, home-made and endlessly adaptable.  The crucial role played by gaffer tape shocked some visitors. 
Happy days.