Perhaps you would enjoy growing your own tropical flowers or have year-round access to ripe, freshly picked tomatoes. If you live in the cooler climates, the only way to achieve this is with a home greenhouse, also known as a hothouse. Building a greenhouse is relatively easy, and it’s also not hard to maintain it. They are available in an assortment of sizes and materials to suit every home and budget. You can even get an indoor greenhouse if you don’t have a backyard.
The origins of the greenhouse are uncertain. The Roman emperor Tiberius apparently used a primitive form of hothouse to grow the cucumbers that he was so fond of. The modern greenhouse can trace its origins to 13th century Italy. From there, the concept spread across Europe, culminating in the giant “botanical gardens” of the 19th century.
In our own time, greenhouses for home use have gained in popularity. They can be glazed with glass, fiberglass or plastic and have a steel, wooden or aluminum frame. They can be placed anywhere that has good access to sunlight. A lean-to greenhouse can be attached to the side of a building and is a good option for those with limited budgets and/or space. Those with even less space can buy a window-mounted reach-in.
Freestanding structures are the most versatile type of structure, as they can be situated anywhere in your yard without regard to the placement of your home. A portable greenhouse is a good option here. Finally, the largest and most expensive kind of home greenhouse is the even-span, a full-size structure attached to a building at one end.
When planning your home greenhouse, several factors need to be taken into consideration. How will you heat it? How will you ventilate it? How will you supply light and carbon dioxide, both of which are essential for growing hothouse plants?
Once again, several options are available, ranging from simple combinations of heaters and fans to sophisticated, thermostat driven air conditioning systems. As a general rule of thumb, the more you are willing to spend, the less work you will have to do monitoring and maintaining your home greenhouse.
Also, you need to calculate the capacity of the heating system. This can be done if you know the surface area and the amount of heat lost through the glazing material. The better insulated the material is, the less powerful the heating system needed.
In other words, buying a greenhouse