With intentional design, a greenhouse is a dreamy addition to any garden
Long associated with English gardens and country estates, greenhouses can be a beautiful marriage of design and function in any ornamental garden, big or small. They’re certainly trending in modern landscape design, with glass and metal varieties considered the crème de la crème. But before ordering your ideal model, there’s a few factors to consider, especially given our region’s intense climate.
“What people don’t realize is that the greenhouse is just the start,” says Nathan Schaupp, a designer at landscape firm DabneyCollins. “First you have to determine what the point of your greenhouse is. What are you trying to accomplish? Are you just looking for a place to store your inside plants . . . or are you looking for a nice place to go out and have a glass of wine or cup of coffee?”
Schaupp typically works with clients designing upscale gardens, and determining the best greenhouse for their aesthetic can be challenging. “It’s one of those things where you get what you pay for,” Schaupp says. Polycarbonate or plastic greenhouses may be more cost efficient and easier to heat, but they lack the beauty and quality of glass and would need to be hidden behind a hedge or around a corner. Schaupp’s top recommendations are English brands like Hartley Botanics, with standard varieties starting around $10,000. But whatever the size or variety, he’s adamant the following factors need to be kept in mind.
Three Greenhouse Factors
Heating
Many of Schaupp’s clients use their greenhouses to store their house plant collections, which are not cold hardy. “Heating is important for your fragile plants,” Schaupp says, noting the Southeast’s tendency toward extreme temperature swings. While a glass box is not an ideal structure to heat, gas heating tends to be more efficient and effective, if available.
Ventilation
“Ventilation is also extremely important because with too much moisture comes fungus and disease,” Schaupp says. For best airflow, greenhouses require fans and windows that open and close easily.
Shade
“Here, with the sun’s intensity, you need shades within the greenhouse,” Schaupp adds. “[Otherwise,] the sun is so intense, you’ll actually fry everything.” Certain models have shades that automatically engage, depending on temperature.
For more information on garden design and greenhouse installation, visit dabneycollins.com
One More Thing
For the avid gardener, greenhouses are excellent resources for seed starting and plant propagation. Schaupp recommends incorporating shelving and storage into the design, as well as a water source and drainage.
